NorCal volleyball semis: St. Francis outlasts SI in five-set classic; SRV, Foothill, Aragon, Monta Vista advance to finals

MOUNTAIN VIEW — St. Francis will play host to Archbishop Mitty on Tuesday in the NorCal Open Division title game, a matchup that you could seemingly have penciled in at the start of the past few volleyball seasons that was set in stone in Mountain View on Saturday night.

But the inevitable – Lancers vs. Monarchs with a trip to SoCal on the line – didn’t seem so guaranteed early on Saturday night.

In the biggest game of the season, facing a St. Ignatius team that it had dueled in the section title game a week prior, the Lancers went down 1-0 early. But the team rallied, and it was an unlikely star who provided the spark for the team’s 3-2 victory over the Wildcats.

With senior captain Grace Gowdy out with an illness, sophomore setter Kimberly Lai played like a battle-tested upperclassman, calmly leading St. Francis’ attack in the raucous Raskob gymnasium.

“In the beginning I was nervous, but the moment I stepped on the court and started playing, I felt comfortable,” Lai said.

St. Francis won 22-25, 25-8, 25-16, 22-25, 15-10. Seniors Cassidy Pietsch and Jaemysen Martin gave their young teammate plenty of support throughout the game.

And the Lancers needed every big play they could get, with Carol Manu and the Wildcats always seeming to answer each St. Francis run with a run of their own.

Lancers coach Lake Merchen was glowing after the slugfest.

“That was without a doubt the coolest match I’ve been a part of as a coach,” Merchen said.

Up next is his team’s eternal rivals, who split the two full matches and lost its two-set tournament match. He believed that Saturday’s marathon bout will help prepare the Lancers for their last NorCal test.

“It’s going to be another match, just like this one,” Merchen said.

St. Francis lost last season’s NorCal title game to Mitty 3-1, but had won the game by the same margin in 2022.

– Joseph Dycus

Other NorCal Divisions

No. 5 Foothill upset No. 1 Folsom in the Division I bracket, besting the Bulldogs 25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 25-13 to advance to the D-I championship game against No. 6 Redwood … Top-seeded San Ramon Valley advanced to the Division II final, sweeping No. 12 Sacred Heart Prep 28-26, 25-17, 25-18. The Wolves will host No. 3 Buchanan on Tuesday … No. 5 Aragon stunned top seed Branham in the D-III semifinals, sweeping the Bruins 27-25, 25-21, 25-19 in San Jose. The Dons will face No. 2 Monta Vista, which beat St. Joseph Notre Dame 25-15, 25-17, 16-25, 25-14 … No. 4 St. Patrick-St. Vincent upset No. 1 Liberty Ranch 10-25, 30-28, 28-26, 19-25, 15-7 to reach the D-IV title game. The Bruins will face No. 2 Hilmar in the championship match on Tuesday.

– Christian Babcock