Pirates Play for NCS Title

Coming in third in your league doesn’t usually bode well for post-season play. That is unless you’re playing volleyball in Marin.

The Marin County Athletic League girls volleyball lineup is so tough that even though finished the season behind Redwood and Branson, they will compete tonight, Saturday, at 7 p.m. for the North Coast Section (NCS) Div. III championship at Albany High School.

At the exact same time tonight, Redwood will also be playing for the NCS Div. II title at Maria Carillo, Marin Catholic will be playing for the NCS Div. IV title at Salesian High School, and Branson will be playing for the NC Div. V title at College of Marin against S.F. University.

“It was a very tough league this year,” said Drake coach John Hedlund. “It speaks to the quality of Marin volleyball.”

Getting out of that league and into sectional play has been good for the eighth-seeded Pirates, who routed Acalanes in three games in the first round, then took down top-seed Bishop O’Dowd in five games last weekend, and Wednesday beat out fourth-seed Sonoma Valley in a close five games.

“In MCAL we know the other teams, we’ve played with them,” said senior Melanie Stoner, which put added pressure and expectations on the Drake squad. But, playing against new teams with a (probably misguided) eighth-seed meant “we kind of had nothing to lose,” she said.

It was a sentiment first year coach Hedlund echoed to his girls going into the last game against Sonoma Valley Wednesday night.

Drake has come out strong and won the first two games in 25-20 and 27-25, but Sonoma Valley picked up momentum at the end of the second and beat the Pirates “pretty badly,” said Hedlund in the third game (14-25) and closer in the fourth (21-25).

Just enjoy the moment, he told his girls before starting the last game. It’s just one game.

Losing at that point, said Stoner, after winning the first two games and beating O’Dowd, “we just didn’t find acceptable. We knew what he had to do.”

Stoner, a middle blocker right now, has been joined in leading the team by seniors Audrey Freeman, Sophie Merrifield, Sophie Stuart, and junior Karli Grigsby.

“They’re really the catalysts,” said Hedlund.

But, it’s taken more than one or two good players to surpass their eighth seed by this much and to bring down the number one powerhouse Bishop O’Dowd.

“To beat a team like O’Dowd, it really takes a team,” said Hedlund.

In a gym crowded with loud and supportive O’Dowd fans, the Pirates went back and forth. Drake lost the first game 18-25, won the second and third (25-21, 25-22) and lost the fourth 22-25. At that point, it doesn’t matter who has the higher seed or who won which game. It just comes down to one game that could go either way.

“We were fortunate to pull it off,” said Hedlund.

They’re hoping to do the same thing again tonight against Albany, a number three seed that also had to topple a powerhouse in number two Campolindo to make it to the final. (It is one of the few division finals this year not to feature the number one and number two seeds.)

But, they could use some fans.

The team started a facebook page to try and encourage Drake students to come to the game and cheer them on amid an Albany home crowd.

“Albany’s not that far,” said Stoner.

Drake has been here before. For the last few years the team has made the NCS final and played in front of large crowds for the championship. “We know the feeling of going into these finals,” said Stoner.

They’ll use that experience and the experience they’ve gained over the last two weeks tonight and as they move forward in the Nor Cal tournament – making it to the NCS finals guarantees them a spot in the tournament and seeding will be decided Sunday evening.

“We’ve still got nothing to lose,” said Stoner.

If you go:

Tonight, Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at Albany High School

Are you going to the game? Share photos and video by uploading them or sending them to kellyd@patch.com.