It’s been a year of challenges and growth for the Dragons volleyball team, who made it to the Quarterfinals of the NCS Division 3 Championships. And while they lost to Archie Williams on Oct. 30, ending their season, coach Brian Perkins is pleased about how his players handled this unusual year in sports.
“We are proud of our players for remaining vigilant with COVID-19 prevention protocols, so we did not have any positive cases,” he said. “But the injury bug bit us early and often, and we had a few starters miss matches due to illnesses. Throughout the regular and post-season, seven players missed a combined 50 matches. We had at least one starter out for every match, and at one point as many as four.”
On Saturday night, they found themselves down two starters, outside hitters Lola Martin and setter Ella Perkins, and while Kaden Sanders could play, she was not at 100% as she is recovery from an injury. Several players from the junior varsity team were called up to fill out the roster in the match against the San Anselmo high school.
“Kudos to our JV coaches Alondra Martinez and Luis Lopez, because when we had to bring up a few JV players to fill roster gaps in the post-season due to injuries, those players stepped in seamlessly and contributed immediately,” Perkins said.
After some key players graduated last spring, Perkins is eager to keep building the team next season, which is already packed full of potential.
“We had a number of talented juniors on varsity this year, who will continue to work and improve in the off-season, including team captain and VVAL 1st Team All-League Selection Outside Hitter Lola Martin. And freshman Olivia Paxton is a rising star in the program who will certainly elicit roars in Pfeiffer gym for the next three years,” Perkins said. “We brought up another junior and two sophomores from JV to varsity in October, and they are likely to be strong contributors next season. And the success of our JV and Frosh teams this season is an indication that Sonoma Volleyball is, and will be, a perennial contender in the VVAL.”
Most of all, the players and coaches were excited to be back together, playing as a unit, after the disruption from the pandemic.
“It was great having fans back in Pfeiffer, bringing the noise. And our players didn't mind wearing masks, opting for safety over comfort,” Perkins said. “Sports is an important aspect of the high school experience, giving student athletes the opportunity to learn life skills such as teamwork, mental toughness, time management. At the beginning of the season, I asked all the players, ‘Who is feeling stressed and anxious?’ Every single player instantly raised their hand. Being limited to virtual learning and relative isolation for such a long period of time certainly took a toll on these kids. They were all elated to be back on campus, and in the gym with their teammates, but still some struggle with re-acclimating to ‘normal’ life. The effects will be felt for a long time to come.”
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November 05, 2021 at 07:24AM
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Dragons Volleyball: A look back at an exciting season - Sonoma Index-Tribune
"exciting" - Google News
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