Volleyball

Megan V. Winslow/Town Crier
Mountain View High’s Kyra Palmbush, left, and Rey Turner, right, try to block a kill attempt by Los Altos High’s Naomie Cremoux in Thursday’s league match.

Unable to match Mountain View High’s intensity and focus, Los Altos fell to its rival in four games Thursday night in the league opener for both girls volleyball teams. The visiting Spartans prevailed 25-19, 19-25, 25-16, 25-21.

“The girls knew that we hadn’t beaten Los Altos in a league match in three years and were really motivated to give it everything they had,” Mountain View coach Dave Winn said. “To their credit, they followed our game plan quite well with some really tough serving and excellent passing.”

The Mountain View High girls volleyball team opened the season with a sweep of King’s Academy Thursday night. The visiting Spartans prevailed 25-16, 25-17, 25-17.

Senior middle blocker Kyra Palmbush led Mountain View with 11 kills and six blocks. Senior outside hitter Rey Turner “also shined,” coach Dave Winn said, notching six kills and seven digs. Senior Ashley Kane and junior Logan Winn, sharing the setting duties, combined for 22 assists. Kane also had five kills.

Robert Beck/special to the Town Crier
Los Altos native Brittany Howard is in her first full season on the AVP Tour, which stopped in San Francisco last month.

At 9 years old, long before she became one of the best beach volleyball players in the nation, Brittany Howard sat in the stands at San Francisco’s Pier 32, watching her heroes play. Fifteen years later, the Los Altos native swapped the stands for the sand.

“It was a dream come true,” said Howard, who competed in San Francisco last month as part of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) 2018 tour.

Courtesy of Dave Winn
The Mountain View Volleyball Club’s 16 Red team commemorates its bronze medal. Pictured, from left: Head coach Tyler Rigg, assistant coach Justin Rajah, assistant coach Jordan Bird, Brooke Morey (St. Francis High), Logan Winn (Mountain View), Taylor Tullo (St. Francis), Jacqueline Miller (Leigh), Sydney Enthoven (Los Altos), Madeline Shao (Lynbrook), Claire Kwok (Los Altos), Katie Kishton (Los Altos), Jessica Uyehara (Milpitas) and Kaitlyn McLaughlin (St. Francis). Not pictured: Audrey Moir (Mountain View) and Arista Agnelli (Notre Dame-San Jose).

The Mountain View Volleyball Club’s 16 Red team claimed the bronze medal in the 16 Patriot Division last month at the Girls Junior National Championships in Detroit.

The squad went 8-2 in the four-day tournament and just missed making the final (Michigan Elite beat MVVC Red 15-13 in the third set). Most of the players on the 16-and-under team live locally and/or attend area high schools, including Los Altos, Mountain View and St. Francis.