The packed and enthusiastic crowd at the Coronado High School gym was treated to thrilling volleyball as the Islanders downed Division 1 cross-town rival Point Loma on Tuesday evening in three straight sets, 25-19, 25-23, 25-19.
The Islanders are in Division 2 but may possibly be the best team Coronado has ever fielded. They have already beaten 11 Division 1 teams, including six that were ranked in the top 15 of 124 schools at the start of the season.
The win lifted the team’s record to an impressive 23-3 and followed a tournament championship at the La Jolla Coastal Classic over the weekend.
To give a sense for how good these Islanders are, during the tournament they defeated both Bishop’s High that competed in in the 2023 CIF Open Division* and El Capitan High that was a finalist in the 2023 Division 1 CIF Championship. They also beat Mica Mountain, a previously undefeated team from Tucson, Ariz.
“The team is meshing well, they are working hard every day, and they really want it,” said head coach Adeile Ahmu. “They know that they are making noise out there and that people are recognizing them. Hopefully we can take it all the way.”
“We fought so hard and put it all on the court and I feel like we played so much as a team,” said senior Sadie Proctor. “We played together. One whole entity was moving smoothly on the court and just beating these really good teams.”
Point Loma Match, Sept. 17
The players and coaches all shared that the big home crowd energized them. The fans, in turn, were treated to an intense, action-packed showdown.
The first set was filled with runs by both teams. After going down 1-3 to start the set, Coronado had a 5-1 run to go up 6-4, only to have Point Loma score six straight to regain the lead, 10-6. Later, Coronado went on another 5-0 run to take the lead again, 16-15. The Pointers responded and were winning 19-17 when a kill by senior Sadie Proctor gave Coronado the serve, down 18-19. Coronado’s Lydia Schutt served seven straight to help Coronado secure the first set, 25-19.
“I was a little nervous of course,” said Schutt. “It was my time to serve well. Since Point Loma is our rival we were fired up. We all came together and played well.”
Both Schutt and Proctor shared their enthusiasm for freshman middle blocker Emily Albin’s play. “She played really well,” said Schutt. “When she got the chance to hit, she did amazing.”
“Emily (Albin) is a great middle, great block, and great hitter,” said Proctor. “Emily (Page) can set her and know she is going to get a power kill.”
In the second set, Coronado took a commanding lead, 19-11, but Point Loma battled back, going on a 7-1 run that closed the gap, 20-18. The teams traded points to get to 24-22 and set point for Coronado. When Point Loma scored the next point, the crowd erupted into chants of “Let’s Go, Nado!” to spur on the team to win the set. Coronado won the next point and the set 25-23 off a kill by freshman Ashlynn Proctor. The crowd’s chants, “She’s a freshman!” rang out throughout the gym.
“It was awesome to have a great student section, especially because it was Point Loma and they are our rivals,” said Sadie Proctor. The Islanders had not played Point Loma since 2016 and were beaten by the Pointers in the previous matchup.
In Set 3, the teams stayed close through the first third of the set and were tied at 10-10. Coronado won 14 of the next 21 points to go up 24-17. Point Loma won two more points before Coronado closed out the set and the match, 25-19.
“We did a really good job of swinging hard on attacking and (a good job) on defense at picking up balls that weren’t easy to pick up because we read the hitter’s arm and (anticipated) where they were going to place the ball,” said Sadie Proctor.
Whether they were playing or on the sideline, the team was focused and driven. Other contributors included Elle Bradbury, Madison Davis, Avalon Haro, Julia Josset, Alyssa Jovero, Sophie Petersen, and Ariana Van Handel.
“We love support and think we are going to go far this year,” said Sadie Proctor. Bring the family to a match for some great action, tenacious defense, and athletic attacks and digs.
Next home match is Sept. 25 versus Mission Bay at 6 pm. Start time is approximate.
*At the beginning of each season, 24 teams are placed into Division 1. Before the CIF playoffs, the top eight Division 1 teams are selected to play in the Open Division to compete for the most coveted title of CIF Open Division Champion.
