Sophia Erickson came through for the Matadors in the North Coast Section Division 2 tournament in Arcata, firing a 99 and leading Miramonte to a sixth-place finish. Coach Doug Senz, though, was just as pleased with his team’s camaraderie and sportsmanship.
Led by a rejuvenated girls’ volleyball team, Miramonte’s fall sports season had plenty of success – and at The Orinda News deadline, five more teams are looking to make deep runs in the Northern California regional playoffs.
Still in action are both water polo teams, football, cross country and girls’ tennis, and as much as we wish we could delay printing the paper to get their results in the paper, there are limits to what a monthly can do.
The volleyball team bounced back from a down 2024 season to reach NorCals for the first time since 2021, and the girls’ golf team continued their run of success with a trip to the NCS Division 2 tournament. Here’s a brief rundown of the teams that have wrapped up their seasons.
Flag Football
San Francisco 49er fans know all too well how injuries can derail a season, and the Miramonte flag football team shared that pain – literally and figuratively.
“In the first two weeks, we had two broken arms and two concussions,” said coach Kevin Newby, and coupled with a young roster (only three seniors), wins were hard to come by. The Matadors finished 3-10, but Newby could see glimmers of hope in the program’s third season.
“There’s a legitimate influx of talent,” he said, and the play of two sophomores was especially promising. Both Ava Noga and Lucy Daoust were standout receivers, and Newby feels there’s plenty of talent to build on.
Girls’ Golf
Coach Doug Senz always emphasizes team over individual, and this year’s 15 golfers exemplified his program’s goals. “All 15 got to play in at least one varsity match,” he said, and singled out senior co-captains Karlee Tu and Emma Wang for their leadership.
After a competitive Diablo Athletic League season, the girls traveled to Arcata for the North Coast Section Division 2 championships, and finished sixth overall. Sophia Erickson’s 99 led the way for the Matadors, but Senz was happier with the way the team came together than any achievements on the course.
“This was a fun, spirited and really smart group of student-athletes,” he said. “Each member of the team wanted to be part of what has become a high-character and camaraderie-laden team, and each of them contributed.”
Girls’ Volleyball
It was a remarkable turnaround for the Miramonte volleyball team, going from 8-16 last year to 21-8 this season – and winning the DAL Valley Division title along the way. The Mats followed up the regular season with two wins in the NCS Division 3 playoffs and a trip to the NorCal regionals for the first time since 2021.
Junior Sena Hens was the league MVP, and junior Maddie Yun earned first-team honors. Senior Eva Chevalier landed on the second team, and with 13 players returning next year, coach Leslie Ray hopes to build in this year’s success.
“The players’ heart, grit and belief in one another built something special this season,” Ray said, “and that’s the standard we’ll continue to grow from.”
