SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior middle blocker Sofia Garza tallied four key block assists, junior opposite Caroline Foraker pounded out a team-high 14 kills, while senior outside hitter Sofia Alkire sparked a 12-0 run in an incredible first-set comeback, leading St. Francis varsity to a 25-22, 25-20, 25-16 sweep of Pleasant Grove in Delta League girls' volleyball action Thursday night at the SFHS gym.
The varsity victory capped a Troubadour sweep through all three levels. The frosh made quick work of the Eagles, winning 25-6, 25-8 to improve to 12-3 for the season. The St. Francis junior varsity also held its guests to single digits with a 25-8, 25-9 win, bumping the season tally to 10-1 overall. The varsity remains unbeaten in Delta League play at 3-0, improving to 9-4 for the year.
Alkire had a team-best five aces for the match, all in the first set to help the Troubies flip a 22-13 deficit into the 25-22 triumph. Garza and setter Kelsey Magley combined for two stuffs in the comeback, including the go-ahead at 23-22. Magley began the run with a successful second-contact dump into the open Eagle court, making it 22-14. Libero Jackie Smith had two spectacular digs in a long rally that ended when Foraker pushed a shot into the PG backcourt. The Eagles could not get the final overpass to clear the tape, extending the SF streak to seven unanswered and trimming the deficit to 22-20.
A pair of Eagle hitting errors equalized at 22-22, then the Magley-Garza block put SF on top. Alkire then drilled two aces through the PG passing line for the 24th and 25th ticks on the scoreboard.
The Troubies also had to rally from behind in the second, although by a smaller margin. After PG's Jordyn Bowman tooled the right-side block to craft a 14-11 lead, St. Francis scored 13 of the next 16 points to take a 22-17 advantage. Senior Charlise Rowe stepped up for three of her seven total kills in that run, including the go-ahead point at 16-15. Foraker delivered a kill from beyond the 10-foot line and a service ace down the stretch to help seal a 2-0 match lead.
Foraker continued to power the Troubies offensively in the third set, while teaming with Garza on a block amidst an 11-0 stretch, mostly behind the serving of junior Veronica Datwyler. Senior Olivia Mlikotin had two of her match-high 14 digs then came through with a diving cover on a would-be PG block, keeping a rally alive long enough for Foraker to a put down a slide at 20-14. Foraker struck again for her 14th kill for a 24-14 match point, then Garza finished the sweep by slamming a one set into the Eagle front court.
Datwyler finished with three aces, giving St. Francis 11 total. Garza and Mlikotin added six kills offensively, while Smith joined Mlikotin with double-figured digs at 10. Magley earned 30 assists, helping SF hit .223 as a team.
The serving game that propelled the varsity to its two key runs in the nightcap was the gamechanger for the younger Troubie squads. Mercy Collier served up four aces of her own in an early 14-0 run to the first set, then St. Francis totaled eight such winners in the second. Then in the JV sweep, setter Nika Jafari had six aces in an 11-0 start to the first set, then left-sider Chloe Johnson – one of three freshmen on the team – served up four of her team's nine aces in the second stanza.
The three Troubie teams head in different directions during the upcoming weekend. The varsity takes part in the third of three Christine Craft Memorial Invitationals at Oak Ridge on Saturday, while the frosh head south for the 14th-annual Stockton Classic that day. The SF jayvees have the weekend off, returning to action as part of Tuesday's home Delta League tripleheader with Elk Grove.
