Prep spotlight: Bay Area girls volleyball primer — top players, teams, storylines

The 2023 season was a dominant one for Bay Area girls volleyball programs.

Four teams from the region competed in last year’s CIF state championships, with Valley Christian and Crystal Springs Uplands winning titles. 

This year is slated to be another competitive season for teams in the Bay Area News Group coverage area, and there are tons of storylines for many of the top programs. 

Can Archbishop Mitty top the season it had last year and win a state championship, or will league rival St. Francis take their NorCal crown?

Is Foothill primed for another deep playoff run?

Can San Ramon Valley make a play for the East Bay Athletic League title?

The Bay Area News Group released its first girls volleyball rankings on Tuesday and you can check that out here. 

Here’s a breakdown of the top storylines and where each of the Bay Area’s top contenders stack up:

The WCAL is the Bay Area’s top league

There is no league that is as deep top to bottom than the West Catholic Athletic League. Archbishop Mitty is a year removed from its Central Coast Section Open Division championship and a CIF Open Division state title game appearance. The Monarchs graduated just three seniors last season and are poised for another deep playoff run. Senior libero Nicole Macalintal is set to lead a dynamic attack along with all-league outside hitters Makenna Crosson and Isabella Romero. The Monarchs will be looking for their 25th CCS title this season. … St. Francis has all the potential to contend for a CCS Open Division title. The Mountain View school won a share of the WCAL title last year after going 35-6 and 11-1 in league play. The Lancers fell just short of a CCS Open Division title, losing to Mitty in four sets. St. Francis graduated five of its six all-league players from a year ago, but returned all-league middle hitter Ella Fulton. Senior outside hitter Grace Gowdy is a returning starter who will shore up the Lancers’ attack. St. Francis will have a young team this season as six of its 15 players are underclassmen. … Senior setter/outside hitter and all-league selection Carol Manu will look to lead St. Ignatius to another successful season. The Wildcats were a solid 22-14 last season, good for a third-place finish in league play. Sophomore Eileen Pfeffer provides solid defense from the middle blocker spot and senior setter Hannah Arcilla is a gifted setter. The San Francisco school has started this season 6-1. … Sacred Heart Cathedral is a dark horse contender to win a league title. The senior trio of middle Hazel Nelson, libero Livy Tangaan and right outside hitter Mackenzie Flinn will look to lead the Fightin’ Irish back to the CIF playoffs. Sacred Heart Cathedral finished the year 26-15 and made it all the way to the CIF Division II title game where it eventually fell to Campbell Hall. “Our biggest strength on the court is definitely our relentless defense and powerful middles,” Sacred Heart Cathedral coach Symone Mackiewicz told the Bay Area News Group. “We have young setters joining the team this year that have stepped into their roles without hesitation.” … Valley Christian will look to build off their championship season a year ago. The Warriors defeated Palos Verdes in the CIF Division I final to capture the state crown and brought back many of its top players. After leading the team in hitting percentage (.199) and blocks (47),  sophomore Whitney Fleming will return to her role as outside hitter this season. Senior middle hitters Vanessa Whitmill and Belisa Martinez will play key roles as defenders.

Foothill, San Ramon Valley are among East Bay’s elite teams

Foothill was the most dominant team in the East Bay last season, going 37-2 en route to an East Bay Athletic League and a North Coast Section Division I title. All-league outside hitter Kaycie Burdick returns for her senior season as a team captain. Sophomore Kaitlyn Vogel was also selected as a captain and will play libero and outside hitter this season. Lulu Hoenninger will shore up Foothill’s defense as a returning middle blocker. The Falcons have started this season 7-3. … San Ramon Valley is aiming high this season. The Danville school finished the year 26-9 and made deep playoff runs in the NCS and CIF Division I playoffs. This will be one of the Wolves’ most experienced teams as they return 10 players – nine of which are seniors – from last season. All-league seniors Lucy Chertock and Sophia Vella will play key roles on SRV’s attack. Seniors Ellie Hunt (outside) and Kate Stern (setter) are slated to be starters. “Our experience is going to be our biggest strength this season,” SRV coach Brian Fujinaga told the Bay Area News Group. “Most of this year’s seniors have been on varsity for three years. Not just on the team, but seeing meaningful playing time. We just need to work on the little things and clean up our execution here and there, and I think we’ll be fine.” … Amador Valley racked up impressive wins last season over the likes of Foothill, Burlingame and Granite Bay, finishing with a 25-11 record and trips to the NCS and CIF Division I playoffs. First-team all-EBAL selection Charlotte Kelly returns as the team’s middle blocker and outside hitter. The Dons will have a young team with six of their 12 players being underclassmen. 

Which teams could be surprises? 

Burlingame was one of the Bay Area’s most consistent teams a season ago, finishing the year 27-6 and winning the CCS Division III title. Seniors Ella Duong and Jillian Kiniris are the team’s top returners with sophomore outside hitter Jordan Toomey returning for her sophomore year. “We are hoping to compete to win our league and look to play late in November through CCS,” Burlingame coach Hannah Korslund told the Bay Area News Group. “We have a challenging preseason match schedule that should challenge us early and make us tougher in October and November.” … Palo Alto snuck in as the No. 8 seed in the CCS Open Division playoffs last year and is looking to build off a solid season that saw the Vikings finish 27-6. Palo Alto returns six of its top eight rotation players from last season, including Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division MVP Maura Hambly. Hambly was the first freshman to ever win the award, according to coach Chris Crader. The star sophomore will be joined by senior setter Sophie Mies and senior middle blockers Naama Green and Sophie Pan – all of whom were all-league selections. “The team is hoping to put together a strong run in the playoffs – in D-1 or Open for CCS,” Crader said. “Then, hopefully advancing to NorCals in whatever division they are placed.” … James Logan has been the class of the Mission Valley Athletic League and the Colts will likely continue that trend this season. McKenzie Anderson, the reigning MVAL MVP, will look to lead James Logan to its ninth league title in the last 10 seasons. Junior setter Leann Jung is slated to start in her third season on varsity. Juniors Emma Tran and Azaria Nelson will play big roles in the Colts’ offense this season along with senior right side hitter Kemi Adediji. “Our team’s biggest strength is our speed and defense,” said Logan coach Matthew Guzman. “We work hard to run a fast offense and pride ourselves on relentless defense. We have many smart hitters who find ways to keep our offense competitive. We always focus on our serving and passing to ensure our team will compete at a high level every game.” … Head-Royce has built a strong program in the small Bay Area Conference and could be slated for another successful season in 2024. The Oakland school won its second NCS title last season, beating out Justin-Siena for the Division IV crown. All-league players Kalia Krakowski (setter) and Natalie Kwon (defensive specialist) return for the Jayhawks. Head-Royce started this season on an eight-game winning streak.