No one on the volleyball team asked Coach Symone what she wanted for her birthday on Saturday, because they already knew. And on Saturday, November 5, at Palo Alto High School, the Fightin' Irish girls volleyball team gave their coach just what she wanted… a Central Coast Section D3 Championship.
This is the second CCS Championship that first year Head Coach Symone Mackiewicz helped the SHC volleyball program win. The first was 17 years ago when Mackiewicz was a sophomore on the varsity squad and the Irish defeated Menlo in straight sets to win the CCS D4 title. Assistant Varsity Coach Ira Arce '13 also helped the program win a CCS title, back in 2011 when she was a junior. Now as coaches in 2022, they coached the Irish to the program's 9th section championship in a gritty back and forth battle against Santa Cruz, winning in four sets, 26-24, 24-26, 25-22, 25-19.
In a phenomenal team effort, the Irish got contributions from every position on the court. A steady defense and balanced offense helped the Irish overcome Santa Cruz's powerhouse hitter, Hannah Flemming, a UCLA beach volleyball commit. Four Irish hitters tallied double digit kills: outside hitter Sarah Caulder '24 with 20 kills, outside hitter Kate Lau '23 with 14, right side hitter Rachel Mak '24 with 11 and middle hitter Meghan Williams '24 with 10. Setter Sarah Chow '24 led the Irish with 29 assists. On defense, Lydia Valle-Jhanda '24 was block leader for the Irish with 3, Kiana Paredes '23 led the Irish in digs with 24, defensive specialist Angel Gumboc '24 had 16 digs, and Sarah Caulder tallied 14.
Each of the four sets had several lead changes and tension was high for the entire match. Captains Kate Lau and Kiana Paredes helped keep the team poised and confident despite the pressure. Lau knocked down an overpass on match point and the Irish celebrated.
By virtue of reaching the CCS finals, the Irish secured a berth in the CIF State Tournament (Northern California Regional), the 18th consecutive berth for the Irish. They play their first round match on Tuesday, November 8, at 6pm, opponent and location to be determined.
Congratulations to the Coaches and Team! And Happy Birthday, Coach Symone!
