The Campbell Reporter

Sports

Panthers go beyond expectations of Carlson to nail 2nd, playoff spot

By Dick Sparrer

Rod Carlson has been coaching at Prospect for 22 years, so when it comes to girls volleyball the veteran coach knows what he's talking about.

Well, most of the time.

He got one wrong this fall. When the season began, he said that the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League would be "well balanced." Well, he was right about that. But he also said that his Panthers figured to finish in the "middle of the Santa Teresa Division." Boy, was even ever wrong.

The Panthers turned out to be the surprise of the Santa Teresa circuit. They posted a 10-4 division record to finish behind only Lincoln in the race for the league title. The Lions notched an 11-3 mark, clinching the crown with a win over Prospect in the final week of league play.

With the second-place finish, the Panthers earned a place in the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs. But they lost their first-round match in four games to North Monterey County, falling 25-18, 16-25, 25-16, 25-23 to wind up the season with a 13-11 record overall.

Senior co-captain Kendra Rimbach was a returning all-leaguer for the Panthers this fall, and she was joined in the starting line-up by seniors Janaye Fletcher, Zlata Malicevic and co-captain Brittany Ross-Badillo, junior Leah Williams and sophomore Kristin Rimbach. Sophomore Jennifer Jasper, who led the Panthers with 12 kills in the CCS match, was another top player for Prospect this fall.

Carlson, whose Panthers won the West Valley Division title a year ago with a 12-0 record, moved up to Santa Teresa play this season and will return to the division next fall with an experienced crew led by current sophs Kr. Rimbach and Jasper and juniors Williams, Angelina Canepa, Devin Cannon, Jaime Guetschow, Marian Lu and Asja Trumic.