Gregori volleyball team lacks confidence in loss, but not in future

Coach David Winfrey couldn’t find fault on the scoreboard, not when there was still so much to look forward to.

Big picture: The Gregori High School volleyball team won its fourth Modesto Metro Conference title in five seasons and hosted a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoff game in spite of its youth.

Though those accomplishments weren’t enough to extend their season Tuesday night, Winfrey and his team didn’t pout or protest. Instead, they looked to brighter days ahead.

For the record, No. 6 Gregori (23-6) was stopped with the swiftness of an emergency brake by No. 11 St. Mary’s 21-25, 25-20, 25-9, 25-19 in the first round.

Ngozi Nwabuzoh, the Tri-Cities Athletic League’s Most Valuable Player, dominated the action from all points on – and above – the floor. She finished with 20 kills, 10 digs, five blocks and three aces, and played like the Rams (30-9) had places to be. In truth, they do.

St. Mary’s will travel to No. 3 Pleasant Grove on Thursday in a matchup more befitting their talent level. The Rams are one of just four teams to beat Eagles (30-4) this season.

“They’re not an 11 seed. Ngozi was hitting over the top of our block with great ball control. We didn’t serve well and didn’t take them out of system on our serve as we should have,” Winfrey said. “Once you give them the opportunity to let their best player outjump you and hit on top of you, that’s what happens.”

St. Mary’s shook off a Game 1 loss to make quick work of the Jaguars. St. Mary’s coach Jayne McHugh said it was a matter of finding their bearings in Gregori’s cavernous gymnasium.

“Whenever we come to big gyms, it takes awhile for us to get our vision going. We play in a tiny little gym at St. Mary’s,” McHugh said. “When you think of serving and passes coming at you from great distances and trying to return them at great distances, it’s all about depth perception.

“We struggle with that in all the big gyms we go to. After that first game, we were able to feel OK about that.”

Gregori was no match for the Rams’ athleticism and their ability to string points together.

St. Mary’s went on a 7-1 run to take control of Game 2 and then rolled that momentum into an emphatic 25-9 victory in Game 3. That loss was Gregori’s worst since a 25-9 setback to Notre Dame at the Notre Dame Belmont Tiger Cup on Oct. 10.

Winfrey kept waiting for a spark, for the tide to turn in the Jaguars’ favor as it has so often this season, but it wasn’t their night.

Junior Jenna Tobin had a team-high 17 kills, while sophomore Emily Joseph gutted out 14 kills, 10 digs and three blocks on a heavily bandaged and braced left ankle. She rolled it against Downey in their MMC finale Nov. 2 and didn’t practice until Monday.

To make matters worse, senior Merritt Stewart also injured her ankle and had to be helped off the court by Winfrey. Stewart was the MMC’s MVP and her absence, though it was short, had a prolonged effect on the Jaguars. She was hurt during St. Mary’s run in Game 2. Stewart showed spirit and grit by returning to the floor and finished with 15 assists, 13 digs and four aces.

“She’s our leader. She’s the league MVP,” Winfrey said. “When you have a young team (and) they watch the league MVP get knocked out of the game, I think they lost their confidence and there was nothing we could do to get it back. In Game 4, we saw glimmers, but we couldn’t shake it.”

Winfrey kept his postgame speech light. All but three players return to him next fall, including four dynamic sophomores and Tobin, arguably the conference’s best outside hitter as a junior.

That nucleus, which also includes setter Alyssa Bartlett (18 assists) and middles Chelsey Rios and Shelby Grover, will be better for the experience, Winfrey said.

“I can’t complain. We just won our league with four sophomores. I thought we’d be pretty good, but I didn’t think we’d be as accomplished as we were with so many underclassmen,” he said. “Making the playoffs as the sixth seed and having the league MVP – that’s all icing on the season. No one expected this team of four sophomores to be as dominant as they have been.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 1:04 AM with the headline "Gregori volleyball team lacks confidence in loss, but not in future."