Top volleyball players earn silver at nationals Top volleyball players earn silver at nationals (July 09, 2004)

by Rick Eymer

When the Menlo School girls' volleyball team ended its season last fall, it apparently marked the final match for sisters Kate, a senior, and Alex Fisher, a junior.

Actually, the Knights' season-ender only marked the end of their prep days together.

The Fisher sisters have teamed once again this summer on the Vision 18 Gold volleyball team, which recently won the silver medal in the Open Division at the Junior National Championships in Houston, Texas.

The Open Division featured the top 28 teams in the nation in the 18-under bracket. The San Jose-based Vision squad, with Kate setting and Alex hitting, advanced to the championship match before falling to Sports Performance of Chicago. Along the way, Vision upset the tournament's top-seeded team, from Cincinnati.

Vision is coached by Stanford women's assistant coach Jay Mansfield.

Alex Fisher played on Vision's 16-under squad that finished fifth last year, while Kate played for a Berkeley team that took third a year ago.

Kate will play for Georgetown University this fall while Alex returns to Menlo for her senior year. After that, it's off to Stanford. Alex has made a verbal commitment to play for the Cardinal in the fall of 2005 and will sign a national letter of intent in November.

The Fishers weren't the only local players competing at Junior Nationals last week. Gunn High junior Maile Krauss helped her City Beach Roshambo Black 16s win the silver medal in the girls' 16-under division. City Beach went 10-2 and fell to Wisconsin in the championship match.

This is the second medal for Krauss in three years. She played on the Vision 14 Gold squad that finished second two years ago.

As soon as Junior Nationals were over, Krauss traveled to Tampa, Fla., and trained at the USA Youth National Developmental Camp under U.S. Olympic women's coach Toshi Yoshida in an invitation-only camp for the top 15 percent of the nation's players. The camp was visited one day by U.S. Olympian and former Stanford All-American Logan Tom.

"The camp was to learn about the national program and the techniques used by the national team," said Krauss, who returned home from the camp Wednesday in time to celebrate her 16th birthday.

Next up for Krauss will be the Volley Classic in Austin, Texas, where she will play for the NCVA Regional team. She's the only Bay Area player on the 16-under all-star squad.
Little League

Matt Jost made sure at least one Palo Alto team would advance in the District 52 Majors 11-12 All-Star tournament on Wednesday at Sea Cloud Park in Foster City.

Jost threw a no-hitter, striking out seven, in leading Palo Alto American to a 4-0 victory over Pacifica American.

PA American meets San Carlos, which beat Palo Alto National, 2-0 in eight innings in another loser's-bracket game on Wednesday, today at 5:30 p.m. on Field B 3.

Palo Alto American scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to snap a scoreless tie. Jost, Jonathon Rea and Simon Hauser each doubled for Palo Alto.

T.J. Braff and William Glazier each had two hits for Palo Alto National in the extra-inning loss to San Carlos.

Alpine scored seven runs in the final three innings to rally from a four-run deficit and beat Half Moon Bay, 7-5, on Tuesday to advance to today's loser's bracket game against San Mateo National at 5:30 p.m. on field 5.

In another game, Menlo-Atherton dropped a 6-2 decision to San Mateo National despite two hits and two RBI from Peyton Smith.
American Legion

Sandy Williams collected three hits as Palo Alto Post 375 defeated the Redwood City Blues Post 105, 3-2, on Wednesday.

Palo Alto plays four games in as many days, beginning with today's 5:30 p.m. contest against Redwood City at Menlo College.

Palo Alto travels to Oceana High for a game against Pacifica on Saturday at noon, then goes to Orange Park in South San Francisco for a game against San Francisco on Sunday at 11 .m.

Palo Alto hosts the Danville Hoots on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at a site to be determined.
Western Baseball Association

The Stan Musial Division-leading Palo Alto Oaks (9-1) open the second half of the season by hosting a doubleheader with the Morgan Hill Mudcats on Sunday at Baylands Athletic Center beginning at 11:30 a.m.

The Oaks moved into first place with a doubleheader sweep of the previously undefeated San Jose Twins last Sunday.
Softball

The Palo Alto 10-under all-star team defeated Morgan Hill, 8-0, in the championship game of the July Fourth Firecracker Bonanza tournament at Twin Creeks Complex in Sunnyvale.

Megan Coleman pitched a one-hitter for Palo Alto, while Emma Marti had two triples.

The team, which also includes Gracie Marshall, Nicole Quilliam, Rachel Brownell, Margaret Wenzlau, Claire Klausner, Lexie DeStefano and Sarah Fleischmann, next plays at the Santa Cruz Invitational beginning July 17.

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