Stepping off the court following a 3-1 state playoff loss against familiar opponent Archbishop Mitty, St. Francis girls volleyball head coach Lake Merchen felt pride in the team but sadness knowing there would be no practice the next day.
“I’m incredibly proud of how they fought,” Merchen said. “Kind of a full circle moment for us. We felt like we started our season here. We ended our season here, but to see the fight that they developed over the last season, the grit that they have, I’m so proud of them.”
The Northern California Open Division finals rematch between the two rival volleyball powerhouses Nov. 14 saw the Lancers (35-6) start slowly and lose the first two sets 25-12 and 25-21 before regrouping and winning the third 25-19. However, the Monarchs (33-4) proved too much and won the final set 25-20 to seal the title on their home floor and a state final date against Southern California champion Mater Dei at Santiago Canyon College Saturday.
St. Francis outside hitter Taylor Williams, a Duke University commit, praised the team for competing in a tough game and its success over the past three years she has been on the team.
“It’s tough to lose, but I’m so proud of how my team has fought this whole entire season,” Williams said. “I’m just grateful for all my teammates and how tough we’ve been throughout this whole season.”
The two schools have played each other the past three years in the Northern California final, with St. Francis beating Mitty in 2022 and Mitty winning the 2021 match. The Lancers faced the Monarchs six times this season, with Mitty winning four of the six matchups and beating St. Francis 3-1 in the Central Coast Section Open Division title Nov. 4.
A rematch in the Open Division playoffs was always likely between the two top seeds, with the No. 2 seed Lancers not losing a set against St. Ignatius and Foothill on their path to the final. The games proved to be a measuring stick and brought a new level of familiarity in tactics and understanding for both teams.
“The demon you know is always scarier than the one you don’t,” Merchen said. “We knew every time we go and play them, it’s going to be a battle.”
Mitty opened the first set by going on several mini-runs of three and four points, thanks to kills from outside hitter Makenna Crosson, taking a commanding 14-5 lead St. Francis couldn’t catch. Merchen said the Lancers passed poorly in the first set but settled down in the second set, though they didn’t take advantage of enough opportunities in the second and fourth sets. St. Francis went on a 4-0 run in the fourth set to pull to within a point at 16-15, but Mitty kept the lead and eventually pulled away.
“They had that little lead that we just couldn’t claw back from,” Merchen said. “Hats off to them. They made some awesome adjustments that kept us constantly trying to swivel and counter them.”
The Lancers’ best moments came in the third set when they continued the same approach as the first two and built an 18-11 lead after several errors from Mitty and strong kills from Williams.
“Sometimes things click, and sometimes things don’t,” Merchen said.
Merchen appreciated the team’s journey despite the loss, acknowledging the collaborative culture imbued with respect for one another. He described the group as mature but fun, especially when they understand his sarcasm and are willing to take it and dish it back. Merchen noted he can speak with them honestly, and they are honest with him.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said of the experience.
