For the second season in a row, the Valley Christian Warriors saw their season fall just short of capturing a Central Coast Section Division 3 championship and for the second year in a row, the Sacred Heart Cathedral Fightin’ Irish proved to be the culprit.
Last year, Sacred Heart Cathedral not only defeated the Warriors in the section finals, but it also eliminated Valley Christian from the NorCal playoffs as well. This year, Valley Christian lost to the Fightin’ Irish 3-1 and then fell to St. Mary’s of Stockton in the first round of the NorCal regional competition.
The postseason disappointment, however, does little to diminish the incredible season achievements of Valley Christian senior Rachel Alvey, who had the unique distinction of leading her team in both kills and assists this year.
Rachel Alvey, Valley Christian
Photo by Brian Jackson
Alvey finished the season with 355 kills during Valley Christian’s 29-10 season and was particularly impressive in the playoffs. In her final four matches of the year, Alvey had 17, 18, 15 and 17 kills. As a setter, Alvey finished with 512 assists, including 32 in the final match against St. Mary’s. She also led the team in aces during the season with 96.
“Rachel’s work ethic is the best I have seen of any athlete I have coached in 23 years of coaching volleyball,” said Valley Christian coach Vonda Reid. “She always gives her best effort and encourages her teammates to also perform. She is very quick. She has extraordinary body control. Her jump reach is 28-29 inches. She is left-handed, which is an advantage for a setter. Her passing, setting and hitting skills qualify her to play virtually any position on a quality team.”
Reid also points out that Alvey will often out-think her opponents on the court.
“Rachel is an excellent student,” said Reid. “Last year in one game Rachel had a run of something like 20 points serving. She varied the serve type (jump-serve, float-serve, jump-float) and basically served the other team off the court. She is the type of athlete that will figure out a way to beat you and keep coming at you until she does. She defines relentless.”
A four-year varsity starter, Alvey has been an All-County player by the San Jose Mercury News. She has also won the Scholar Athlete Award, thanks to her athletic talents and a 4.57 GPA. She also plays club volleyball for Vision 18 Gold, which won the bronze medal in the 18 Open divison at the Junior Olympics in Miami, Fla., last spring.
It was in club volleyball where Alvey first learned the benefits of hard work.
“I started playing when I was 12 and I played on the 13-year-old team. I was so small I could walk underneath the net!” said Alvey. “Because of my size, I wasn't much of an asset on defense or offense, so my dad told me if I could be consistent at serving, maybe I could find a way to get myself on the court. So I really worked hard at serving, and by the end of the season, I had the most consistent serve and was often substituted in to serve.”
Alvey has parlayed her talent and hard work into a college scholarship at the University of San Diego. She signed her national letter of intent on Nov. 11.
“I am very excited to be playing at the Division 1 level,” she said. “Just knowing I will get the chance to play in college on scholarship is a blessing. I am also pumped up to be able to play against some of the best players across the nation, especially the ones I didn’t get a chance tosee or play against in club ball.”
Alvey credits her many coaches over the years for helping her become the player she is today.
“Rob Georges has been a great role model for me. High school would not have been the same without him,” she said. “Jason Trip has taught me the technical aspects of the game and he’s taught me to have fun. Fred Kieu encouraged me to work on advanced skills and Gary Mano instilled two important things in my head – don’t miss your first serve and don’t miss your serve after a timeout. Now every time I miss my serve or miss after a timeout, I can still hear him telling me that.”
Alvey knows that moving to the big city of San Diego will be much different the creature comforts she enjoys in her hometown.
“What I love about Morgan Hill is how small it is compared to larger cities,” she said. “No matter where I go, whether it’s the grocery store, Starbucks, Hollywood Video or a restaurant, I am bound to bump into someone I know. It’s a homey town and I feel safe no matter where I go.”
The Warriors had their season end Tuesday in a tough five-game loss to St. Mary's-Stockton in a NorCal first-round match, but Alvey has advice for younger players who are learning the sport for the first time.
“Make it fun! Nothing is worse when you are trying to learn a new skill and you are frustrated the whole time,” Alvey advised. “I have had great support from my parents who have always told me that I could stop volleyball whenever I wanted if it wasn't fun anymore; they wanted to make sure I still enjoyed it when my competitive playing days are over. So every time I go to the gym, it is because I want to and not because someone is forcing me. Because I have kept that "passion" for volleyball, each time I practice or play, it is like my time to set aside all my worries or stresses and just be myself…. and have fun!
