Coming off a regional runner-up, league-championship season and losing five starters who all went on to play at the next level, the Douglas volleyball program was expected to drop off a little.
Now that the season has played out however, the fall simply wasn't that far and the upside is huge for a team that was hoping just to rebuild.
Douglas failed to win the Sierra League title for the first time since the league's inception in 2000, coming in third behind two very talented squads in Damonte Ranch and Reno, but gained valuable experience in the meantime.
Under first-year head coach Jorge Urbina, the Tigers (20-11 overall, 10-4 Sierra League) renewed their focus on fundamentals and passing. By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Tigerswere playing very solid volleyball.
Sophomore Jessica Waggoner rose to the top immediately, becoming a dominating presence at the net while fellow sophomores Megan Mitchell and Taryn Williams cemented their spots in the starting lineup.
Junior Bridget Maestretti, the team's only returning starter entering the year, was a nice compliment to Waggoner in the middle and seniors Alex Risko, Danielle Brown and Ali Witteman improved with every match on the outside.
Mary Lombino was one of the finest defensive players in the league and senior Bonnie Matheson was quite arguably the best server in the region.
After Maestretti went out for the season with mononucleosis and Williams went down with an ankle injury, seniors Megan Myers and Kaelie Hall and juniors Jennifer Stice and Alyssa Todd came on to fill in nicely.
Douglas had hoped for big things out of junior setter Allie Hughes, but Hughes fell prey to some bad luck, opening the year on the bench with an injured arm and finishing it on the bench with mononucleosis. She did have a couple of brilliant matches in the middle of the year when she was healthy enough to play.
The Tigers struggled finishing off matches early on, losing five-game tilts to McQueen and Damonte Ranch after jumping out to 2-0 leads in both. As the season progressed, however, they started finding ways to hold on.
In early October, the Tigers took on No. 1-ranked Whittell and gave the Warriors all they could handle in a four-game loss.
Next season promises to be a big step up for the Tigers as they lose just two starters and will welcome in a junior varsity and freshman class that went 51-4 combined this year.
SEASON RECAP
DOUGLAS VOLLEYBALL
Finish: Northern 4A Regional semifinalists, Sierra League 3rd place.
Record: 20-11 overall, 10-4 Sierra League.
MVP: Jessica Waggoner, soph. As a first-year varsity player, the sophomore wasted litle time making an instant impact in the middle. She drew double-team coverage through most of the season but still turned in dominant efforts.
Gamebreaker: Taryn Williams, soph. Williams turned in standout performances in some of the Tigers' biggest matches of the year, most notably Carson and Damonte Ranch. Her presence was missed greatly after she went down with an ankle injury late in the season.
Unsung hero: Mary Lombino, jr. Playing as the Tigers' defensive specialist, Lombino was nothing short of spectacular most nights. Digs are among the hardest stats to keep track of in high school volleyball, so her exact number is unknown, but it goes without doubt that her acrobatic and often stunning saves kept Douglas in a lot of points.
Most Improved: Megan Mitchell, soph. Another first-year player who was thrust into a starting spot early on due to injuries on the roster. Mitchell found her groove as the season progressed and ended up turning in an all-league caliber performance.
Best game: Damonte Ranch def. Douglas 22-25, 25-20, 25-22, 19-25, 15-8 at Douglas, Oct. 10. It was easily one of the most entertaining games to watch, both in play and background storylines as the Mustangs - featuring four former Tigers in their starting lineup and former coach Velvet Steel on the bench - prevailed in the back-and-forth match. But while the eventual state champions had the upper hand this year, they also got a glimpse of what was to come as the bulk of Douglas' starting lineup was underclassmen.
Starters lost: 2.
Returners: 5 starters, 3 reserves.
-- Joey Crandall can be reached at jcrandall@recordcourier.com or at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.
