The Sunnyvale Sun
Sports
King's teams are tops in soccer, volleyball
By Mike Barnhart
Heading into the final week of the Private Schools Athletic League season, The King's Academy sat in first place in both boys soccer and girls volleyball, and both teams were gearing up for the Central Coast Section playoffs.
In soccer, after continuing their winning ways and receiving a huge lift from St. Lawrence Academy, the Knights (14-1, 16-2 overall) held a one-game lead over Sacred Heart Prep (13-2, 16-4). The Knights needed a victory over Woodside Priory in its PSAL finale, Oct. 30, to secure sole ownership of the league championship. Both TKA and Sacred Heart Prep will represent the PSAL in the four-team CCS Division III tournament this week.
The champions of the PSAL and the Christian Private Schools Athletic League will host first-round games on Nov. 1 against the second-place team of the other league. First-round winners will square off for the championship at Valley Christian of Dublin, Nov. 3, 2 p.m.
Sacred Heart, the defending Division III champ, fell to second place last week when it dropped a 4-2 decision to St. Lawrence. Meanwhile, coach Stephen Ting's TKA squad beat Pinewood 3-0 and St. Lawrence 2-1.
After a scoreless first half, Jeffrey Young, Josh Tatsuno and Michael Gondi all scored second-half goals for the Knights at Pinewood. John Westwood, top scorer Malcolm Alugas and Issac Williams all had assists.
Westwood also assisted on tallies by Gondi and Jeremiah Auer two days later against St. Lawrence.
Alugas, with a hat trick in a 5-0 win Harker on Oct. 19, increased his team-leading goal count to 13. His nine assists were one less than Tyler Aagard's team high.
Tatsuno entered the final league game against Woodside Priory with 11 goals and seven assists, while Billy Burnside had eight of each.
Auer (6 goals, 6 assists), Aagard (4, 10) and Westwood (4, 8) also have been key producers for a TKA team that has outscored opponents 76-9.
Knights roll in volleyball
The Kings Academy's volleyball team has been a hot commodity all season. Coach Philip Wang's Knights have racked up a 22-3 record, including an 8-0 PSAL mark, with just two league matches left before the CCS tournament.
After playing in Division V in the previous four CCS championships, the Knights will be in Division IV this fall. First-round action in the single-elimination event begins on Nov. 7 and the championship game is set for Nov. 17 at San Jose's Independence High.
After losing 2-0 to Los Altos in the finals of the Del Mar Classic on Oct. 6, the Knights posted six league wins in a row, including a three-game sweep of Valley Christian, Dublin last Friday.
The defeat to Los Altos ended a 13-game win streak, which started after the Knights dropped two of five matches--their only other losses--twice at the Santa Cruz Invitational in August.
A pair of 5-foot-10 seniors, outside hitter Natasha Bell (13 kills) and Hannah Hays (17 assists), sparked the Knights in their 25-13, 25-17, 25-21 triumph against Valley Christian.
Sophomores Annika Awbrey had four service aces in the match, while sophomore Emma Fuller and junior Tamara Bell had three each.
Three nights earlier, the Knights needed four games to win at Redwood Christian in San Lorenzo. After taking the first game 25-15, the Knights dropped a game to a league opponent for the first time. They recovered quickly from the 21-25 setback, however, and closed out the match 25-17 and 25-11.
N. Bell made 18 kills and delivered three service aces to lead the way. Fuller had nine kills on Redwood, while sophomore Jenna Shick scored six winners, Awbrey five and junior Leighah Darnell four. Hays totaled 31 assists in the four games. T. Bell, the team's defensive specialist and Natasha's younger sister, dropped in two aces and senior Alexandra Wilson added another.
Other team members are senior Julianne Ells, junior Janae Martin and freshman Miranda Squires.
Homestead eyes title
After splitting a pair of matches while playing without standout outside hitter Katherine Fischer last week, Homestead looked to regain its perch atop the SCVAL De Anza Division standings.
While the 5-foot-10 junior recovered from a strained abdominal muscle, her teammates won a home match 3-2 against Los Altos, but lost 3-1 at Saratoga. The loss against the Falcons dropped the Mustangs to 20-9 overall and 8-2 in the division, one-half game behind Palo Alto (21-9, 9-2). Homestead hoped Fischer would be ready to play on Oct. 30, when the Vikings were to come to town for a showdown that would determine the division winner, and Nov. 1 against visiting Gunn.
Senior Justine Wales (12 kills) sparked Homestead's 25-22, 24-26, 25-17, 24-26, 15-12 triumph over Los Altos, and sophomore Tori Carroll (eight) led the way at Saratoga.
No matter the outcome of the De Anza title chase, Homestead will return to the CCS playoffs for the fourth time in the past five years. Last season the Mustangs lost to San Benito in the Division I championship game.
