After breaking even in the Tri-County Athletic League this year
with a 6-6 record, good enough for fourth place behind North
Salinas, Salinas and Notre Dame, the San Benito High girls
volleyball team was awarded four all-league selections last week,
including a pair of first-team picks.
HOLLISTER
After breaking even in the Tri-County Athletic League this year with a 6-6 record, good enough for fourth place behind North Salinas, Salinas and Notre Dame, the San Benito High girls volleyball team was awarded four all-league selections last week, including a pair of first-team picks.
Senior libero Sara Yamasaki and junior opposite Katherine Breger were both selected to the TCALs first team, which included the top 11 players from around the league, while sophomore setter Raelynn Heredia was chosen second team all-league, and senior Mari Vallejo was named to the league’s sportsmanship team.
This past season, Yamasaki was the defensive leader for the defensive-minded Balers, who finished with an 18-19 overall record. As San Benito’s starting libero, the four-year varsity player led the Balers with 558 digs in 105 sets, or 5.3 digs per set.
Meanwhile, the junior Breger anchored San Benito’s attack with 291 kills this past season, or 2.8 kills per set — the most by any Baler since Emily Kortsen’s 2007-08 campaign, according to MBayPreps. Breger also contributed 44 blocks for the Balers, which was the second most on the team.
The two first-team selections for San Benito was tied for the second most in the TCAL with Salinas and Notre Dame, as Cowboys Ellie Larronde and Alex Barbeau, and Spirits Mariel Busch and Lily Minor each earned first-team nods.
After earning the TCAL title with an 11-1 record, North Salinas had a league-high four first-team selections, including MacKenzie Nelson, Sara Makanani, Ellen Yamasaki and Julia Ashen, who was also named Most Valuable Player of the league.
Vikings head coach Bill Ashen, meanwhile, was named Coach of the Year.
Alisal’s Eva Latu earned a first-team selection as well.
On the all-league second team, San Benito sophomore setter Raelynn Heredia received recognition this season after she compiled 731 assists for the Balers, or 7.0 assists per set. It was Heredia’s first full season as the starting setter for San Benito.
On defense, Heredia also contributed 319 digs in 99 sets for the Balers, which was third most on the team.
Joining the San Benito sophomore on the second team was Gilroy’s Randi Groppe and Gabby Flores; Salinas’ Chantel Mahusay, MacKenzie Palassou and Laura Meyenberg; Everett Alvarez’s Gina Shearn and Deidre Medrano; Kassie Fernandez of Alisal; Liz Wyrsch of Notre Dame; and Yesenia Gutierrez of North Salinas.
The TCALs sportsmanship honor, the “Pursuing Victory with Honor” team, included one player from each member school, and senior Mari Vallejo was chosen to represent the Balers.
Through 102 sets this season, Vallejo compiled 351 digs, which was second most on the team, including a team-high 19 digs during San Benito’s final match of the season against Menlo-Atherton.
Other members of the TCALs sportsmanship team included Jenny Criswell of Notre Dame, Cassandra Zazueta of Everett Alvarez, Stephanie Morales of Alisal, Andrea Leith of Salinas, Karina Daniels of Gilroy and Alexa Ibadlit of North Salinas.
After going 6-6 in the TCAL this past season, the Balers advanced to the Central Coast Section Division I Championships for the 13th straight year, earning the No. 6 seed in the process.
The team defeated No. 11 Silver Creek in three sets (25-21, 25-18, 25-21) to open the 12-team tournament, but couldn’t upset No. 3 Menlo-Atherton in the following round, falling in three sets (25-17, 25-17, 25-18).
San Benito graduated four seniors from this year’s team, including Yamasaki, Vallejo, Corey Habina and Jessica Steigelman.
Tri-County Athletic League Awards
MVP — Julia Ashen, North Salinas
Coach of the Year — Bill Ashen, North Salinas
First Team — All-TCAL
Julia Ashen, North Salinas, OH; Ellen Yamasaki, North Salinas, SE; MacKenzie Nelson, North Salinas, LIB; Sara Makanani, North Salinas, MB; Ellie Larronde Salinas, OPP; Alex Barbeau, Salinas, OH; Mariel Busch, Notre Dame, OH; Lily Minor, Notre Dame, OH; Sara Yamasaki, San Benito, LIB; Katherine Breger, San Benito, OPP; Eva Latu, Alisal, OH.
Second Team — All-TCAL
Randi Groppe, Gilroy, OH; Gabby Flores, Gilroy, OH; Raelynn Heredia, San Benito, S; Chantel Mahusay, Salinas, S; MacKenzie Palassou, Salinas, LIB; Laura Meyenberg, Salinas, MB; Gina Shearn, Everett Alvarez, S; Deidre Medrano, Everett Alvarez, S; Kassie Fernandez, Alisal, S; Liz Wyrsch, Notre Dame, OPP; Yesenia Gutierrez, North Salinas, S.
Pursuing Victory with Honor Team
Jenny Criswell, Notre Dame; Cassandra Zazueta, Everett Alvarez; Stephanie Morales, Alisal; Andrea Leith, Salinas; Mari Vallejo, San Benito; Karina Daniels, Gilroy; Alexa Ibadlit, North Salinas.
