Cinderella Spartans prevail

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Nov 5, 2008 | by Brett Abel

If every tournament has a Cinderella, No. 18 Pinole Valley might be it for this year's North Coast Section girls water polo championship.

The Spartans beat Bishop O'Dowd, seeded 15th, 8-7 on Wednesday night at Contra Costa College in the teams' fourth meeting of the year to advance in the tournament.

The Dragons (16-7) beat Pinole Valley (19-4) 7-6 on Saturday for the Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League title, after beating it earlier in the season 3-2.

Pinole Valley coach Jim Ulversoy said his team was picked last for the tournament, but the close loss to O'Dowd this weekend and an early 11-7 tournament win against the Dragons helped the Cinderella Spartans squeeze into the proverbial NCS ball.

This is the first time the Spartans have been in the NCS playoffs in six years, and their first NCS win in at least 10 seasons.

"Last time (we were in NCS), we lost in sudden death in 2002," Ulversoy said. "I don't care who we play on Saturday."

Pinole Valley will play No. 2 San Ramon Valley at 12:45 p.m. at Contra Costa College.

The Spartans were so excited about the win over their ACCAL rivals they pushed their coach into the pool.

"It was a great team effort," Ulversoy said in a soaking-wet hooded sweat shirt and boots. "We had great leadership from the seniors, great play from (Kaitlin Sartini) and great defense from (Shelby Cagle)."

Sartini gave the Spartans a 2-0 lead with an alley-oop assist to Claire Scott late in the first quarter and a solo goal early in the second.

"Finally, we got them (O'Dowd) back," Pinole Valley senior Sartini said. "I didn't want this to be my last game of water polo."

Pinole Valley started off aggressively, and it took the Dragons a quarter to match the tone.

After taking the lead, Pinole Valley was never behind, only giving up ties at 2-2 and 5-5 due to strong play by O'Dowd senior Jeanette Lo.

Dragons coach Matt Wharton said Lo's hustle on every play of the game was key.

"But it wasn't just her," he said, "it was everybody."

After a steal by Lo and her drive to the other side of the pool, she set up Jennifer Gregson to tie the game at 5-5 with 1:47 left in the third quarter.

In a tight 6-5 game in the fourth quarter, Cagle scored two goals to put her team up 7-5 and 8-6, which was enough to win the game.

Girls tennis

BSAL championships: Albany's Elena Pan claimed the Bay Shore Athletic League singles championship with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Piedmont's Sarah Siskind in the finals of the league tournament at Harbor Bay Club in Alameda. It marks the third straight BSAL singles title for Pan, who advances to the NCS singles and doubles championships Nov. 18-19 at a site to be determined.

In the doubles final, Piedmont's Liza Myers and Molly Ozier scored a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 win over Highlanders teammates Erin Breen and Sam Nady.

-- Staff