SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento Breakfast Optimist Club bestowed St. Francis' Alynn Wright with the inaugural Sacramento Area Coach of the Year award as part of its overall Optimist All-Star volleyball doubleheader, held at Capital Christian's Philip D. Oates Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.
Wright, who announced her retirement last fall after an outstanding 35-year career at the Troubadour helm, was honored prior to the Large School match, in which Kelsey Magley, Jacqueline Smith and Lily Zeff represented SF on the South squad. The club also launched an Official of the Year award, which went to Chet Linton.
All three Troubies saw significant playing time throughout the match, which the South won in straight sets, 25-23, 25-18, 25-16. Zeff started the match, although oddly as a pin hitter rather than her usual middle blocker position. She finished with four kills on nine swings while also tallying three digs and three block assists. Zeff's final stuff, combined with Roseville's Haleigh Black, set up a 24-13 match point.
Magley posted 10 assists, three aces and eight digs at setter. She also had the set-winning kill in the second, in one of a handful of points in which all three St. Francis players were on the court together. Magley also appeared to score a one-handed solo block, but the point did not count as she was still in the back row at the time.
Smith mostly stuck to her familiar libero position, finishing with five digs with two aces and an assist. She did get to play briefly in the front row, and even got to take a swing on the right side in the match's penultimate point.
The Optimist All-Star matches feature the top seniors from throughout the Sacramento area in both Small School and Large School divisions. Rio Americano's Grace Stone was selected as the North Player of the Match in the Large School match, while Oak Ridge's Elle Weaver earned the corresponding award for the South.
Wright's award adds to the long list of accolades in the legendary coach's career. In addition to her numerous selections as a coach, the Coach of the Year nod marks the second time she has received a major award as part of the festivities: in 2019, she was selected into the Optimist Hall of Fame by the Evening Optimist Club.
