By Pete Borello

Prep Girls Volleyball Report

Don’t be fooled by the record. Although the Mountain View High girls volleyball team is sitting near the bottom of the SCVAL De Anza Division, coach Gerrie Phillips said her players are giving their all.

“I am proud of these girls, who are still coming out and playing hard and making the games close,” she said.

And that can’t be easy for a team that is playing under a new coach and in a new, tougher division this year.

The Spartans lost a pair of De Anza matches last week, dropping their record to 1-4 in the division and 5-13 overall. They fell in straight games to Gunn (11-15, 12-15, 8-15) and division-leading Los Gatos (10-15, 2-15, 9-15).

Colleen Schumacher had five kills and 12 digs in Mountain View’s Oct. 7 loss at Gunn, while Sariah Alcaraz posted five kills, two aces and eight digs.

Gunn (2-3, 12-10) received eight kills and three blocks from Michelle Rybka.

In Mountain View’s loss to visiting Los Gatos two days earlier, Erin McConnell paced the Spartans with seven kills and Colleen Nicholls made three solo blocks.

In other local volleyball action last week:

St. Francis rebounded from an Oct. 5 loss to Mitty by routing Presentation and Notre Dame-Belmont in straight games.

The Lancers dispatched visiting Notre Dame 15-3, 15-5, 15-3 Thursday and took care of host Presentation 15-8, 15-5, 15-6 on Oct. 8. Jessica Gysin paced St. Francis with nine kills against Notre Dame; Diane Copenhagen led the way vs. Presentation with 12 kills.

St. Francis coach Kim Oden said the setback to Mitty, which knocked her team from the top spot in the national rankings, “has made us open our eyes a little bit and get back to the grind. It showed us what we need to work on.”

The Lancers, entering this week at 3-0 in the West Catholic Athletic League and 10-1 overall, play a 6:30 p.m. match at Valley Christian today.

Los Altos won both its De Anza Division matches last week to remain in contention for the De Anza Division title.

The Eagles opened the week with a 13-15, 15-7, 16-14, 15-2 victory over visiting Palo Alto on Oct. 7, highlighted by Allie Miller’s 10 kills.

Los Altos (5-1, 9-6) then won 15-6, 15-3, 13-15, 4-15, 15-11 at Monta Vista two days later. Ashley Watson had 13 kills for the Eagles, Kathryn Chomko added 11 kills and Michelle Nelson registered 45 assists.

Pinewood prevailed 15-3, 12-15, 15-11, 15-6 over visiting Redwood Christian on Oct. 8 in a Private Schools Athletic League match.

Anna Tracey (15 kills) and Brett Smith-Hams (11) paced the Panthers (1-1, 2-6).