"I didn't even expect to win five games this season, let alone five matches," said head coach Janet Hannigan, who took the helm of the program in early fall. "We were a fairly inexperienced team, playing teams that are ranked in the top 16 of the North Coast Section all season. I think they've done really well. It makes me excited about next year."
The Patriots went 5-11 in the Bay Valley Athletic League this season, beating Pittsburg and Freedom twice and Ygnacio Valley once. The team was 8-17 overall. At the Northgate Tournament on Oct. 28, Heritage took second in the Bronze Division after falling in its first three matches.
This week the BVAL announced its all-league selections, and Heritage players Brianna Swisher and Melanie Rinna were given honorable mention.
"They were selected over some of the top juniors and seniors in the league," Hannigan said. "It's so exciting for them to get that recognition."
Now that the season's over, Hannigan is already looking to next year. She's asking her players to make three commitments in the off-season: to play club volleyball, to go to camps and clinics, and to stay conditioned.
"I expect to do at least as well if not better next season," she said. "I have high expectations for them."
Heritage's JV team finished with an 8-8 record this season. With the exception of Deer Valley and Carondelet, the team beat every school in the league at least once. Against Carondelet, the Patriots went into three games in both meetings.
"It was a good season," said JV coach Brian Brown. "They showed a lot of improvement in the second half especially."
The freshman team celebrated an exciting three-game win over Antioch in the final match of the season. The Patriots finished 6-8 in league and 11-11 overall.
Allison Gaines led Heritage with 47 aces on the season. Haley Kavanaugh had a team-high 40 assists and Ranya Abu Aita led the team in kills.
"This season exceeded my expectations," said freshman coach Teresa Stratton. "This was a great group of girls."
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