St. Francis saw its historical season come to a close after an early exit in the Central Coast Section playoffs on Tuesday evening.
The No. 3 seeded Sharks fell to No. 6 Crystal Springs in three sets 25-18, 25-14, 25-21 in the Division V quarterfinals.
Senior outside hitter Peyton Orradre compiled 11 kills for St. Francis, while teammate senior outside hitter Julie Lopez tallied nine kills and 14 digs against the two-time defending section champion Gryphons.
Senior libero Mia McClendon finished with 14 digs for the Sharks, who finished with a 19-8 overall record for the 2025 fall campaign.
“We were simply just off tonight and couldn’t pull it together,” St. Francis head coach Sabrina Bracken said in a text message. “But this game doesn’t define our season. We played 26 other great games to win league. It’s been an honor coaching these girls. It will be hard to beat this season.”
St. Francis capped off the regular season on a high note by winning the program’s first-ever league championship in front of the home crowd on Oct. 29.
Orradre finished with a team-best 21 kills and 24 digs as the Sharks defeated Pajaro Valley in four sets 25-21, 24-26, 25-16, 25-15 in Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division action.
“This was by far our biggest game of the year and we came out on top to win league,” Bracken said.
Teammate senior setter Georgia Otzman compiled a team-best 41 assists along with 18 digs, while Lopez tallied 15 kills and 18 digs.
Junior middle blocker Ella Dewig contributed four blocks and seven kills for St. Francis, which shared the Cypress Division title with Rancho San Juan as both teams finished with a 12-2 record in final league standings.
“It’s the cherry on top for me to be part of both teams who got the only banners at St. Francis—once as a player and now as a coach,” said Bracken, who was a member of the CCS D-V championship team in 2008.
Division III
Aptos finished with a respectable 1-1 postseason record as the No. 7 Mariners fell to No. 2 Riordan in three sets 25-14, 25-10, 25-15 in Tuesday night’s D-III quarterfinals match.
Junior outside hitter Ella Dueck finished with one ace, seven kills, one block and six digs for Aptos. Teammate sophomore middle blocker Caitlin Lavelle tallied one kill and a pair of blocks, while freshman setter Cana Taylor compiled four assists and two digs.
“[Riordan’s] service pressure and offensive pace were something we weren’t used to seeing in our league,” Aptos head coach Hunter Zeng said in an email. “I hope the experience was eye opening for all the prospective returners we brought on the road with us.”
Aptos finished with a 20-13 overall record, reaching the 20-win mark for the first time since 2019 when it won a California Interscholastic Federation State D-IV title.
“It was an honor to lead this group to our best record in five years,” Zeng said.
Aptos placed fourth with a 6-6 record in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League final standings, yet earned its way into the D-III playoffs.
Especially after an upset victory over SCCAL champion Scotts Valley in the teams’ end-of-season league tourney semifinals match Oct. 28.
Dueck had 20 kills, six digs and one ace as the Mariners defeated the Falcons in five sets 22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 17-25, 15-11.
Senior outside hitter Kenzie Smith tallied five aces, eight kills, four blocks and eight digs for Aptos. Teammate freshman Ellie Hardesty contributed six kills, one block and two digs, while Taylor finished with one ace, 26 assists and five digs.
“After losing to Scotts Valley three times in the regular season, we finally proved our ability to compete and close,” Zeng said. “We faced plenty of adversity. [Scotts Valley’s] Hayden Smith was pretty unstoppable, combined with strong attacking from Rylee Giesen and blocking from Harlan Hennager. But our team systems held up and we were able to finish.”
Aptos fell to Santa Cruz in the league finals, but rebounded with a win over No. 10 Pioneer in four sets 25-16, 25-12, 23-25, 25-18 in the teams’ CCS postseason opener on Nov. 1.
Dueck finished with 24 kills, five blocks and five digs, while Smith tallied three aces, six kills and 10 digs. Hardesty contributed five kills and a pair of blocks, while Taylor had one ace, 22 assists and three digs.
Junior setter Mady Reed added three aces, 16 assists and five digs for the Mariners, who got some redemption after last year’s playoff loss to Pioneer.
“One of the best things about this postseason run is that our rookies, including the girls we brought up from JV, will have this experience under their belt as they continue with us,” Zeng said.
