St. Vincent held off a determined challenge by previously undefeated Sonoma Academy, 3-0, in a volleyball match between North Central II contenders in DeCarli Gym last week.
There was never much separation between the two squads, with the Lady Mustangs winning, 25-21, 25-20, 26-24.
The Mustangs improved their NCL II record to 4-0 with the victory, while the Coyotes slipped to 2-1 with their first loss of the season. Both teams are 6-1 overall.
St. Vincent pulled ahead 16-12 in the first set on a well-struck kill by senior Amanda Zeryny that found open floor. Grace Hood also hit some impressive shots during her rotation in the back row.
The Mustang margin didn’t get any bigger, however, as the Coyotes managed to keep some sustained rallies alive with impressive digs and solid returns. A return from the left side of the net by Lyla Thiele narrowed the count to 23-21 before St. Vincent recovered.
Maddy Duffy hit a big cross-court winner for the Mustangs from the left side of the net to help St. Vincent put away the first set. There was plenty of mustard on the hard-hit ball by the 5-foot, 7-inch junior, and a good angle that caught the Coyote defenders leaning in a different direction.
Zeryny continued to pound the ball, with good assists from Alexandra Siasi and Sarah Sarlatte, who turned in a versatile effort with key digs and occasional third hits from the Mustang side of the net.