Fresh off a 3-1 performance in the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, the Los Gatos High girls volleyball team enters a crucial week in the ultra-competitive Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division.
The Wildcats have matches with Gunn High and league favorite Palo Alto High on Oct. 3, a contest that will go a long way in determining the league champion. Los Gatos began this week’s play at 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the De Anza, while Palo Alto (15-2, 4-0) was ranked No. 3 in the Central Coast Section by Max Preps.
“We’ve started off pretty strong,” Wildcats coach Nicole Ciari said. “The team is working really hard toward the goals we set at the beginning of the season, which is to be league champs and all the other championship goals (beyond CCS).”
Never bereft of talent, Los Gatos has balance and three athletes–Portia Zeidler, Mia Halsey and Nicole Steiner–who have received offers to play at the Division I level. Zeidler, a 6-foot-4 junior middle blocker, has committed to Notre Dame, one of the marquee name brands in collegiate athletics.
Halsey, a 5-11 senior outside hitter, has committed to Long Beach State. And Steiner, a 6-1 middle, has committed to play basketball for Cal State Fullerton. Steiner has been an impact player on the LGHS girls basketball and volleyball teams since she was a freshman, improving every succeeding year.
“Nicole is one of our top receivers and a clean hitter who can do all the things in the front row and back row,” Ciari said. “She’s really doing well and is going to end her fourth season with a bang.”
A lot of the sets have gone to the outside with Steiner and Halsey, whose smooth swing and explosive 30-plus inch vertical leap allows her to terminate the ball with efficiency.
“Mia is just a wonderful player,” Ciari said. “Her technique is solid, she’s really tall in the front row and just super dynamic on offense. It’s nice to have her and Nicole playing together. They really challenge each other and hold each other accountable, and they use that healthy competition to make each other better.”
Zeidler has made a meteoric ascent since her freshman year, growing in every facet of the game.
“Portia has been doing really well and provides a big presence for us,” Ciari said. “We’re really counting on her to do a lot for us this year and take up a lot of space at net blocking. We’re very excited to see how she plays this season.”
Los Gatos is running a 5-1 offense with senior setter Maya Walker at the helm.
“This is something Maya didn’t do last year so she’s definitely taking on a bigger role helping us to run our offense super efficiently,” Ciari said.
The Wildcats have depth up front, with sophomores Sadie Bins and Sienna Mcgrath competing for the other middle blocker position alongside Zeidler. Libero Caylin Thomas is one of three freshmen on the team, which bodes well for the future of the program.
“We have a couple of girls brand new to the program who have been doing a really good job,” Ciari said. “Caylin has this innate confidence and composure no matter what is going on around her. She’s really doing great things for us in the back row and is able to keep pushing through even in the toughest moments.”
Sophomore right side Britt Melinauskas is a rising star who affects the game both offensively and defensively.
“It’s really nice to have well-rounded players like Britt who don’t have to be taken off the court,” Ciari said. “She can still be offensive even when she’s in the back row, which helps us out a lot.”
Ciari has gained a great appreciation for how this group has meshed from the start of the season.
“We’ve got players in every grade, so our team is super balanced in that regard,” she said. “We’ve got senior leadership, veteran juniors like Portia and the younger freshmen and sophomores are filling in the gaps left by the graduated seniors off last year’s team.”
The Wildcats have already beaten Salinas High twice this season–including a three-set sweep on Sept. 10–exacting a small bit of payback against the team that beat them last season in the Central Coast Section Division I championship match.
“The girls played seamlessly, really clean and really fast,” Ciari said. “They were prepared to get some redemption and played really top-tier Los Gatos volleyball.”
