High school volleyball: Defending Division-II champion Rocklin is No. 1

High school volleyball: Defending Division-II champion Rocklin is No. 1 – and wary

August 27 2011 by Taylah Cosgrove in Education Sport Tips |No Comments

Dave Muscarella is not a guy who can afford to be complacent.

Not when he coaches in the Sac-Joaquin Section’s toughest league (Sierra Foothill) and toughest playoff division (II).

Which is why when presented with information that his Rocklin Thunder would open the season ranked No. 1 in the area by The Bee, he brushed it off.

“Gosh, I don’t like that,” the veteran coach said with a chuckle. “I think we still have a lot of room for improvement.”

How much room remains to be seen, but if past performance is any indicator his team’s potential ceiling is high. Despite losing five key seniors, four of whom were captains, Rocklin looks to continue its run of dominance coming off a 2010 season in which it went 42-4, swept through the brutal SFL and won the D-II section title, Muscarella’s first at the school.

Rocklin returns two three-year starters on the outside in Katelyn Ivy and Cailyn Prewitt. Senior middle hitter Erin Davis and junior rightside hitter Sara Sheehy look to build on 2010 breakout seasons.

With two skilled athletes vying for the setting duties in senior Kelsey Garvella and junior Kallie Elder, Muscarella said he is considering running an offense that uses both for the first time since Rocklin’s 2005 season. Sophomore Jolie Meade figures to claim the other starting middle spot.

“We just want to prove to everyone we’re still for real,” Ivy said.

With the loss of a large group of seniors all of whom were strong leaders Muscarella said he was concerned coming into the season that leadership would be lacking.

It did not take long for Ivy to calm those fears, Muscarella said, as the 2010 All-Metro first-teamer quickly filled the role.

“It’s my turn,” Ivy said. “I knew I would need to be a leader this year.”

All-America watch Ivy, Whitney senior middle blocker Kaylin Squyres, senior outside hitters Katie Christner (Golden Sierra), Natalie Riddering (El Camino) and Lianna Sybeldon (Ponderosa) were named to the 2011 American Volleyball Coaches Association/Under Armour preseason All-America watch list.

The five were teammates on the Northern California Volleyball Club’s 18-1 Moxie squad that placed 19th in the Open Division at Junior Nationals over the summer.

Foundation games The section will hold its annual volleyball foundation games tonight, a fundraiser for its A. Dale Lacky Scholarship fund.

Sixty-six matches will be played region-wide with half of the proceeds benefiting the scholarships.

Four of those feature matches between ranked teams highlighted by the always-spirited Holy Court contest between No. 4 St. Francis and host No. 14 Christian Brothers.

Other notables include No. 9 Oak Ridge at No. 3 Vista del Lago, No. 10 Bella Vista at No. 6 Union Mine and No. 15 Placer at No. 8 Del Oro. No. 16 Roseville hosts El Camino. Matches start at 7 p.m.; admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students.

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