Given the number of heart-stopping five-set matches that the Los Gatos High girls volleyball team has already played in this season, Wildcats coach Brynja Thompson and a reporter joked that going through all of the riveting and suspenseful moments have taken years off of Thompson’s life expectancy.
When asked if her hair was turning gray, Thompson said, “100%, absolutely.” Teams are no strangers to going the distance, but what Los Gatos is doing stokes the realm of imagination. To wit: the Wildcats went the full five sets in seven of their first eight Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division matches, going 5-2 in the process.
A handful of their fourth sets have resembled mini marathons. On Sept. 15, they won the fourth set 28-26 against Mountain View. On Sept. 26, they won Game 4 26-24 against Los Altos but lost the match in five. On Oct. 4, they won the fourth set 26-24 against Gunn.
On Oct. 10, Los Gatos won the fourth set 27-25 en route to a five-game victory over Monta Vista. Thompson has marveled at what the team has done in matches that have gone the distance, knowing going through the meat grinder that is the De Anza Division—which is arguably the best in the Central Coast Section—will serve the team well in the playoffs.
“We will be the best team in the league if not the region or section at five-set matches for sure,” she said. “We are weathered, we are used to it, and it’s definitely not by design but it’s better to win in five than to lose any other way.”
The Wildcats, who are in a second-place tie with Los Altos and just a half-game back of league-leader Mountain View, often play their best in the close sets, a testament to their resilience and determination. However, as thrilling and riveting as five-set matches are for fans of the program, they’ve taken a toll on the players.
As young and spry as the players are, their bodies take a pounding from the relentless jumping and arm swings they unleash in long matches.
“I’m scared we’re living on borrowed sets,” Thompson said. “We are tired, we are fatigued, our jumpers are really close to the end of their gas tank. But they’re also so driven they’re not going to let fatigue hold them back.
“I’ve never really seen anything like this. We just have to keep on trucking and we have to practice smart because we’re exerting so much energy in these five-set matches. And if we’re not practicing smart or taking care of ourselves on our off days, that can wreck us.”
That’s why Thompson wouldn’t mind seeing the team close a team out in three or four sets when the opportunity presents itself.
“I mean if we’re that good, we’ve got to take care of business right away,” she said.
Hannah Slover and Nicole Steiner have been getting things done all season. Slover, a UC Santa Barbara-commit and the reigning state girls high jump champion, has been terminating the ball with her usual proficiency.
At times, Slover delivers swings where the ball can’t be blocked or dug. Steiner, a sophomore who also advanced to last spring’s CIF State Track and Field Championships in the shot put, has provided a tremendous net presence.
“Hannah and Nicole have done a fantastic job in the front and back, and they’ll continue to do so,” Thompson said.
Sophomore Maya Walker and junior Kate Vanderbosch both entered the season with limited setting experience at the varsity level, but they’ve taken to the task well.
“Mia and Kate have been doing an incredible job,” Thompson said. “They’ve been extremely reliable and have not been injured all season.”
The last part of Thompson’s statement means a lot because the team has had several players sustain injuries throughout the season.
“We’ve probably had more injuries than other teams,” Thompson said. “But we are deep and when somebody does get injured or has to sit out, we’re able to put somebody into a new place in the lineup without it being too disruptive to our game because our players are so good at being flexible and playing in different places, which is one of the things I’m excited about.”
Thompson has had to juggle her lineup to the point where “it’s always a mystery and sometimes I never know the lineup until three minutes before a match and neither do they,” she said. Because of injuries and various ailments brought on by the long season, there are always a handful of players who are day to day, according to Thompson.
Thankfully for the Wildcats, their best libero and defensive specialist—junior Sarah Herman and senior Molly Vanderbosch—have been healthy all season.
“They’re always ready to compete,” Thompson said.
Whether the Wildcats end up winning the league championship or not, they’ll be primed to make another deep run in the postseason. Last year, Los Gatos got bounced in the opening round of the CCS Open Division playoffs before reeling off four consecutive wins to reach the CIF NorCal State Regional Division semifinals.
“I’m still extremely confident this team has more ahead of them,” Thompson said. “Once we get to CCS and hopefully NorCals, it’s anybody’s ball game and our league has prepared us for that in a great way.”
Sports editor Emanuel Lee can be reached at el**@we*****.com
