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By Keith Peters
Palo Alto Online Sports Staff

The numbers have been downright staggering for the Palo Alto girls' volleyball team this season. The Vikings rode a 30-match winning streak into this week, a string of four straight SCVAL De Anza Division titles and a streak of 11 consecutive league victories.

While those numbers were increased by one following Thursday's 25-22, 25-18, 25-22 regular-season victory over Saratoga at home, Paly coach Dave Winn has his own special number for the season -- three.

That's the seed he hopes the Vikings will receive this weekend when the Central Coast Section Division II bracket is determined. A No. 3 seed likely will earn Paly (12-0, 33-3) a first-round bye and a ticket to the quarterfinals on Nov. 14.

Getting a No. 3 seed also would place the Vikings in the bracket opposite unbeaten Mitty, which should receive the No. 1 seed as arguably the No. 1 team in the nation. Should Paly advance to the semifinals, Winn would prefer playing Presentation (a possible No. 2 seed) than Mitty. If St. Francis gets the No. 3 seed and Paly the No. 4, Mitty would be the semifinal opponent instead (if the seeds hold true).

Palo Alto, on the strength of its remarkable 31-match winning streak, might even get the No. 2 seed, which would keep it in the bracket with Presentation and provide the Vikings with an even easier quarterfinal matchup.

Palo Alto hasn't played in a CCS championship match since 2000, when the Vikings set a school record for single-season victories during a 34-9 campaign that saw them lose to St. Francis in the CCS and NorCal title matches.

Winn, in his fourth season at Palo Alto, hasn't been in a CCS finale since 2002. He was coaching at Los Altos that year. The Eagles lost to Presentation in the section finals and then were beaten by El Molino in a NorCal opener.

"I've never ended a season with a win," he said.

Thus, Winn and his players have a lot to shoot for in the next couple of weeks. The only question now is when will the winning streak and season end?

"It's inevitable," Winn said of the possibility of losing. "It'll happen."

In fact, Winn always has a speech prepared, just in case.

"I always have it in the back of my head," he said. "You always prepare for the downside, and hope for the upside."

There has been no downside, however, since Palo Alto played in the first Milpitas Spikefest on Sept. 5, going 2-3. Winn said that first tourney was the turning point of the season.

"After we lost to Carlmont, I didn't think we played with a lot of heart or passion," Winn explained, telling his players: "We have to move forward together."

Winn said his team needed to buy into the system, which is a level of effort in practice.

"We had practiced a lot before that tournament and I expected a lot more from them," he said. "Since then, I've had no complaints."

That's because since then, Palo Alto hasn't lost.

The Vikings (33-3) went 7-0 last week, beating Homestead and Los Gatos to win the SCVAL De Anza Division crown and then going 5-0 on Saturday to capture the annual Spikefest II tournament at Independence High in San Jose.

The Vikings certainly were ready for a letdown after beating Los Gatos in five games two nights early, but it didn't happen. Paly kept right on rolling – winning the Gold Division championship and stretching their winning streak to 30 straight matches.

"For as young a team as I have," said Winn, "it's amazing for them to keep that focus . . . These girls are as professional as can be for amateur volleyball players."

Paly opened the tourney with victories over Harbor (25-13, 25-6), North Salinas (25-16, 25-21) and Carmel (25-22, 25-12) in the bracket play.

The Vikings then faced a very good St. Ignatius team in the first round of the Gold Division playoffs. Despite the Wildcats' fast offensive attack and good ball control, Paly was able to persevere, 18-25, 25-23, 15-12. That set up the showdown in the Gold finals against Sacred Heart Cathedral. SHC had just taken nationally ranked Mitty to five games on Thursday, so Paly had its hands full.

Palo Alto went to a third game again, and this time Paly's tough serving and blocking allowed the Vikings to cruise to a 25-20, 19-25, 15-5 victory and the championship. Paly is nine for nine when playing in deciding games this season. Winn said his team practices for just that specific point of the match.

"Minimizing errors at that point is crucial," he explained. "You don't have to score points, just don't score points for the other team (with mistakes)."

The Spikefest II was Palo Alto's third tournament title of the season, a school record. Senior Marissa Florant paced the offense with 39 kills, followed by sophomore Melanie Wade with 28 kills ("playing some of her best volleyball of the season," said Winn), sophomore Maddie Kuppe with 25 and junior Trina Ohms with 19. Junior libero/defensive specialist Megan Coleman had 48 digs, nine aces and seven assists.

"It's never been just one person," Winn said.

On Senior Night on Thursday, Florant produced 12 kills and Kuppe had 11 as Palo Alto's amazing streak and season continued.