South Placer Girls Volleyball roundup: Rocklin, Del Oro and Whitney off to hot starts

The 2022 girls' volleyball season is underway and there are already multiple athletes and teams in the South Placer area showing they are some of the best the Sac-Joaquin Section has to offer. Here is a look at how all teams have started the season. Rocklin High The Thunder struggled last season at 13-17 but began 2022 on a high note at 4-0, winning each match in three sets. On Tuesday, they defeated Ponderosa 25-16, 26-24, 25-20 and were led by seniors Alexa Watts and Avery Gottschalk. Watts totaled nine kills while Gottschalk had eight kills and three blocks. Gottschalk recently committed to Northern Arizona University and has 21 kills this season. "I think the commitment gives me more of a competitive edge and makes me more excited to play," Gottschalk said. "I just feel more confident on the court." Rocklin High is also a young team with five freshmen, including Bianca Slone and Gianna Bogan, who both had seven kills in Tuesday's match. "The reality is, this year's seniors are unbelievable leaders and they're doing a great job taking ownership of the team and being the leaders that I think we missed last season," coach Dave Muscarella said. "Our league is incredible, so all we are doing in non-league play is preparing for that and I hope we have a chance to compete." The Thunder will play in a tournament Friday and will face Pleasant Valley in Chico next Thursday. Del Oro High The Lady Eagles are 3-0 and have won two of their first three matches in only three sets. After defeating Placer High in a foundation game, which doesn't count toward overall record, Del Oro High defeated Bella Vista 25-13, 25-14, 25-11 on Aug. 23. The Golden Eagles were led by the attacking play of seniors Ally Chandler and Luca Lathrop, along with freshman Sophia Sampson who all had seven kills in the contest. Lathrop also served well with five aces. "I want to hit it harder more consistently this season and just have fun with the team," Lathrop said. Del Oro High sisters, senior Frankie Rasi and freshman Isabella Rasi, combined for four kills in the match against Bella Vista. The Lady Eagles defeated Pleasant Grove in an exciting five-set affair on Aug. 25 before beating Lincoln in straight sets on Monday. Their next game will be Wednesday at home against Yuba City. Whitney High The Wildcats are 3-0 following a three-set win against Pleasant Valley on Tuesday. In their prior contest, Whitney High defeated Bella Vista 25-16, 25-14, 25-19 on Aug. 25. They were led by seniors Jenna Kraft and Kaitlyn Cochran, who both had seven kills in the match. Kraft had four kills in the third set alone and led Whitney on a 12-3 run to win the match. She is currently leading the Wildcats with 29 kills this season. "I think we worked together very well and our coach called timeouts at the right time," Kraft said. "As a unit, we have a lot of individual talent physically and mentally, we have a lot of leaders on our team." Kraft is committed to California State University at Monterey Bay while Cochran has committed to Oregon State University. Cochran has 25 kills and 11 aces for the Wildcats. Whitney High will play Cosumnes Oaks in their next game at home on Tuesday. Granite Bay High The Grizzlies suffered their first loss of the season on Tuesday to St. Francis in four sets. Granite Bay High won their first two matches of the season against Cosumnes Oaks and Yuba City. The reigning section champions have returned seven players from last season, including junior captain Mia Urosevic. The Grizzlies will face Ponderosa at home next Wednesday. Woodcreek High The Timberwolves are 3-2, following a 23-25, 25-10, 25-17, 25-13 win against Del Campo on Wednesday night. Woodcreek High served it very well and totaled 21 aces, including 11 from senior Addy Kilgore. "I think that the positive attitude that was coming from both the people on and off the court was really helping motivate me and got me in the zone," Kilgore said. "I want to focus on staying positive and keeping my energy as high as I can." Fellow senior Cady Hatch had 12 kills in the match while Skyla Graham had five kills and four blocks. Prior to Wednesday night, Woodcreek High defeated Chico and lost to Pleasant Valley on Aug. 19 before defeating Oakmont on Aug. 23. They lost in three sets against Rocklin on Aug. 25. The Timberwolves will play in a tournament on Friday and will begin Capital Valley Conference action against Yuba City on Tuesday. Roseville High versus Oakmont High Despite the contest being a foundation game, the Tigers and the Vikings faced off on Aug. 22 in each team's first matchup of the year. The contest did not affect either team's record but fans got to see talent on both sides. The Tigers won the match 25-12, 25-7, 25-9 and were led by junior Ainsley Mochrie on offense. Mochrie was one of the top athletes for the Tigers last season, totaling 134 kills. "I just want to have fun and make it to the finals in the playoffs," Mochrie said. Roseville High defeated Pleasant Valley in five sets on Aug. 23 and played on Wednesday. The Lady Tigers will begin Capital Valley Conference competition against Inderkum on Tuesday. For Oakmont High, senior Taylor Schell had multiple kills and aces for the Vikings in the foundation game. Schell is one of two seniors on the team as Oakmont High has six juniors and four sophomores. The Vikings are coached by Lindsey Brock, who was the boys' volleyball coach in the spring. "I love coaching girls and it's a whole different environment from the boys," Brock said. "I believe that we talk really well and have strong hitters but we need to work on serving and passing." Oakmont High lost in three sets to Woodcreek on Aug. 23 and beat Mira Loma in three sets on Tuesday. John Adams Academy versus Western Sierra Collegiate Academy The Lady Patriots of John Adams Academy defeated Western Sierra Collegiate Academy 25-19, 25-20, 22-25, 26-24 on Monday and were led by solid serving that resulted in 32 aces. The Patriots also made an amazing comeback against the Wolves in the final set. After being down 16-3 early, the Patriots strung together a 23-8 run to win the match. "Mental toughness is something I've been pushing them on a lot this season and I've seen us lose sets simply because they are getting in their own heads," Patriots coach Brelynn Shirey said. "To see that kind of comeback is showing the drills and conversations we're having are getting to them and they're able to mentally shake off mistakes and push until the end." John Adams Academy was led by senior Amanda Boudier, who totaled 12 aces and two kills while Carina Peek had seven kills. The Patriots beat Trinity Christian in three sets on Tuesday to progress to 4-2. The Lady Wolves were led by their sole senior, Lauren Johnson, who totaled 10 kills and seven aces, including five back-to-back in the match. Sophomore Willow Davis also played well with eight kills and seven aces. West Park High The Lady Panthers picked up their second win of the season on Tuesday, defeating El Camino High 25-21, 25-16, 25-7. West Park High lost three out of four matches in a tournament to start the season before falling in three sets to Chico High on Aug. 23. They have 10 juniors and two seniors on the roster, along with a freshman and a sophomore. The Panthers will play at home against Las Plumas on Tuesday.