Tori Taormina knows how to start a new season off right–with a killer performance.
Taormina, a junior outside hitter, hammered a team-high 15 kills to lead the Los Gatos girls volleyball team to a season-opening 25-13, 25-13, 27-25 victory over Harbor in a non-league match played Thursday night on the Gatos floor. Taormina also added three digs and a service ace in the win.
Junior right-side hitter Shea O’Gorman supported with eight kills and sophomore middle blocker Robyn Van Niekerk knocked down seven.
Talented senior setter Kristi Brown led the way with an impressive 42 assists and junior libero Jensen Ditzler was tops with 12 digs. Brown also shared the team lead with junior middle blocker Elle Rogers with three service aces apiece, and Brown also had five digs to go with three kills. Rogers had a kill and Ditzler added an assist.
Senior libero Kenna Thompson came through with nine digs and chipped in with an ace, and sophomore outside hitter Caice Lanovaz (4 kills), junior middle blocker Alina Karfike (2 kills), sophomore middle blocker Brooke Landaiche (2 kills) and sophomores Sarah Nelson (setter), Terra Schmidt (defensive specialist) and Emily Jarnigan (outside hitter) also contributed in the win.
Brown is a returning all-league first team setter, and O’Gorman won all-league second team honors as an opposite for a 2012 team that posted an 11-3 record in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, good for a third-place finish behind co-champions Palo Alto and Homestead (both at 12-2). Los Gatos went on to finish 23-8 overall, winding up second to Archbishop Mitty in the Central Coast Section Division II finals.
The Cats, who were to play in the Milpitas Spike-fest last weekend, are heading into a busy week when they play three more non-league matches. Los Gatos will visit Menlo-Atherton on Sept. 10, 6 p.m., before hosting Soquel on Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m., and local rival Saratoga on Sept. 13, 6:45 p.m.
