South Placer Playoff volleyball roundup: Wildcats defeat Golden Eagles to advance to section title game

The first three rounds of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs have concluded with the section championship games taking place on Saturday at either Natomas High School or Modesto Junior College. Here is a look at how area high school teams have fared in the postseason. Whitney versus Del Oro The Whitney Wildcats will be in the Division I championship game on Saturday following a 20-25, 25-14, 21-25, 25-15, 15-11 win over the Del Oro Golden Eagles on Tuesday night. Whitney High was led by seniors Jenna Kraft and Katelyn Cochran, who both totaled 12 kills, while Cochran added 22 assists. Juniors Evelyn Hendrix and Addisen Hamilton both had nine kills in the match for the Lady Wildcats. "My team is a team that's never mentally down," Wildcats coach Kami Kazel said. "On the books, we may have been but we were there ready for the next. We knew we had to serve tougher and keep them more out of system and that was the plan to finish them. We never let off the gas and that's how we finished it, running at full steam. When that whistle blew on a kill from Addisen Hamilton, excited was an understatement! I was just so proud that she went up and swung like she wanted to win. She didn't baby it or become timid, she was confident and that sums up everyone on that court… playing hard the entire time!" Whitney High defeated Bear Creek and Linden High in three sets for their first two playoff contests. Despite the loss, the Golden Eagles' season isn't over yet either as they have qualified for the NorCal playoffs which will start next week. Del Oro High won its first two playoff games against Woodcreek and El Capitan. Senior Ally Chandler totaled 25 kills in the win over El Capitan on Oct. 27. The Lady Wildcats will face Vacaville in the section title game on Saturday at Natomas High School. The match will start at 4 p.m. They are looking for their second section title with their sole championship coming back in 2016. "This team has the greatest chemistry and I am just so proud of how hard they work on and off the court," Kazel said. "I'm proud no matter what happens on Saturday and I have all the confidence that they will show up and do their job!" Rocklin High The Lady Thunder entered the Division I playoffs as the fourth seed and won their first round matchup 25-7, 25-16, 25-19 against Laguna Creek on Oct. 25. Senior Mckenna Williams led the way with 10 kills while the freshman trio of Gianna Bogan, Rylee Heinz and Addy Scheitlin each had six kills in the match. Senior Cassidy Guevara had six aces and 15 assists. Rocklin High went on to face St. Francis in the second round but came up short, losing 14-25, 19-25, 14-25 in straight sets. Bogan totaled six kills and a block for the Thunder. The Lady Thunder finished at 5-5 and in third- place in the Sierra Foothill League. They will be graduating six seniors but have a plethora of young talent that can return in 2023. Woodcreek High The Timberwolves finished in second-place at 9-3 in the Capital Valley Conference and earned the 13-seed in the Division II playoffs. Woodcreek High squared up against Del Oro in the first round and lost 16-25, 15-25, 29-27, 16-25 on Oct. 25. Senior Sofia Guerrero led in attacking with 16 kills and 16 assists while Skyla Graham added 10, along with four blocks. The Lady Timberwolves will graduate eight seniors and have nine players who can come back and play again next season. Roseville High The Lady Tigers finished the regular season 16-8 and third-place in the Capital Valley Conference, earning them the six-seed in the Division III playoffs. Roseville High won its first match 25-22, 26-24, 25-11 against Lathrop on Oct. 25 before facing Christian Brothers on Oct. 27. Taylor Stolz totaled 14 kills for the Tigers in the win over Lathrop. They started strong against the Falcons with 25-17, 25-22 wins in the first two sets but were unable to hold on, losing three straight sets 16-25, 16-25, 11-15 to end the season. Stolz led the way once again with 10 kills while Ainsley Mochrie and Megan Gustus both added eight kills. Roseville High will graduate five seniors but have eight juniors who can return next season to attempt to make it further in the postseason. John Adams Academy The Lady Patriots were co-league champions in the Northern Pacific Athletic Conference with a 15-5 record and earned the 10-seed in the Division V playoffs. John Adams Academy traveled to face Mariposa County on Oct. 25 and lost 18-25, 22-25, 21-25 in straight sets. They are only graduating four seniors and have 10 other players who can return in 2023. Valley Christian Academy The Lions finished the regular season with an 8-5 record and third-place in the Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League. This earned them the four-seed in the Division VI playoffs and a game against Sacramento Waldorf. After losing the first set 23-25, Valley Christian Academy bounced back with a 25-17 win in set two. They lost a heartbreaker of a third set 23-25 but once again came back with a 25-20 win in the fourth set. In the fifth set, the Lions lost 11-15, ending their 2022 campaign. They have three seniors who will be graduating with seven other players eligible to return next season.