Napa Valley High School Girls Volleyball: Power goes out during Saints' key match at Middletown
It's been 10 years since a St. Helena High girls volleyball team has won a North Coast Section playoff match.
That was the 2014 Saints, who had gone 14-0 in the North Central League I to earn the No. 5 seed in the NCS Division IV playoff bracket and swept No. 12 Berean Christian in the first round at home before bowing out.
They also earned a home playoff opener as the No. 8 seed in 2015 after finishing second in league, but were upset by No. 9 Piedmont. In 2016, Benny Rabanal's last season as head coach, they were fourth in the NCL I and the 14th seed when they lost in their opener to No. 3 St. Joseph Notre Dame, the eventual runner-up.
Last year, St. Helena squeaked into the playoffs for the first time in the post-Rabanal era, as the 16th and last seed after placing fifth in league, and fell at No. 1 Cardinal Newman.
Current head coach Michael Hanna's squad is 11-6 in non-tournament games and 5-4 in tournaments, and tied for third with Middletown in the NCL I at 7-4.
Going into Thursday's league match at Middletown, a team the Saints needed five sets to beat at home last month, St. Helena probably needed another win over the Mustangs — as well as victories over Fort Bragg and Upper Lake next week — to finish at least third and earn a decent NCS playoff seed.
The Middletown result will have to wait, however. While the Saints were winning an extended first set over their longtime rivals, 29-27, the lights went out for 30 minutes due to a PG&E public safety power shutoff, Hanna said. During the second set, with St. Helena ahead 18-16, the gym went dark for good.
"We should pick up where we left off whenever we get a chance to reschedule," Hanna said. "I hope we get a chance to finish our game."
The coach said senior Hartleigh Demchuk had an exceptional run of serves in a 3-0 win over visiting Lower Lake on Tuesday and was serving and digging very well again Thursday night.
St. Helena has another huge match Monday at fifth-place Fort Bragg, which will be looking to avenge a 3-1 loss at St. Helena on Sept. 26.
That match got away from the Timberwolves faster than a fiesty albacore in Noyo Harbor. The Saints came back from an opening-set loss to win the fourth in volleyball's version of overtime, 17-25, 25-15, 25-18, 27-25.
"I told the girls I blame it on the amount of time we spend on the track running before practice," Hanna said of pulling out the extended fourth set. "Our offense tonight was really making good decisions."
He said he was particularly pleased with the play of seniors Josie Doda, Gemma Hanna, Monica Suhr and Finley Sullivan.
"Everybody was making the right decisions, keeping things in play and swinging when they could," the coach said.
It marked the third match with Calistoga transfer Hayden Fruetel.
"She has been really making a positive impact in the back row," Coach Hanna said of the sophomore. "She's a really strong defensive specialist and has been a great addition to the team."
St. Helena had a strange start to league play, losing 3-0 to a Clear Lake club that's now 3-8 in the NCL I, before winning 3-0 over Cloverdale, which is now 9-2 and sharing the league lead with Kelseyville. The Saints then lost 3-1 at Kelseyville before going on a five-match league win streak.
If they can win their last three league matches, including their Senior Night match next Wednesday against an Upper Lake squad they beat 3-2 the first time, they could earn a decent playoff seed and have a solid chance at their first postseason victory in a decade.
Dave Mosher contributed to this story.
