Scotts Valley head coach Mikayla Fish instilled a new philosophy prior to the 2025 campaign that focused on improving mental toughness.
So far, the players have responded by using their “never quit” attitude to their advantage.
The Falcons rallied on Tuesday night to beat Aptos in five sets 25-27, 25-18, 15-25, 25-12, 15-10 in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League action.
With the win, Scotts Valley remains undefeated at 3-0 in league play, and improved to 7-2 overall this season.
“Some of our initial games have been reverse sweeps, and I think that says a lot about the girls’ mental toughness,” Fish said. “I think that’s been a very pleasant surprise. Not that I love going to a five set match every single time, but it’s nice to know that they have that in them.”
The Falcons are led by seniors Aila Papadopoulos, Makayla McDonnell, Hayden Smith, Rylee Giesen and Harlan Hennager, which has made them stronger on the front.
Smith finished with a team-best 21 kills, 18 digs and three aces in Tuesday’s win against Aptos. Papadopoulos added 14 digs and a pair of aces, Giesen contributed 14 kills, Hennager had eight blocks and four kills, and McDonnell had seven kills, five blocks and three aces.
“All five are my powerhouse hitters whether they’re in the middle, on the right side or the outside,” Fish said.
Fish said it’s been interesting to split juniors Ava Dumesny, Stesha Nikolaeva, Dylan Wing, Hailey Shehorn, Zoe Norris, Maddie Pipal and Shino Hashiguchi-Rosoff into the supporting roles of setters and liberos.
Dumesny tallied a team-best 42 assists and five aces on Tuesday night, while Norris tallied five kills and four blocks.
“These [senior] girls wouldn’t be able to hit without these other two components,” Fish said. “It’s all interconnected.”
Fish also brought up sophomore Riley Kilpatrick, who slots in on the right side from time to time and can put up a block or hit through blockers.
“I think [Kilpatrick’s] going to be a really big key player for us, and it’s just good experience for her to already be playing at such a high level,” Fish said.
It’s amazing how much one year can make a difference after the team had just one senior in 2024.
Papadopoulos, McDonnell and Smith were named team captains by their peers, and the Falcon trio are doing an excellent job of balancing each other out. Not just position wise, but mentality wise on the court.
“It’s a really good symbiosis between the three of them,” Fish said.
Papadopoulos, who is also a member of the girls’ tennis team, is perhaps the most competitive of the three.
“[Papadopoulos] is very used to being in a singles mindset of everything is on her shoulders,” Fish said. “She has to perform and do really well, and I think that’s a good role model for the younger girls, as well.”
Smith is a four-year varsity player who was initially pulled up as a freshman. She’s seen it all from the rebuilding years to where they stand today.
“[Smith] brings a level of consistency for us,” Fish said.
McDonnell is what Fish calls the “Energizer Bunny,” and someone who consistently checks in with teammates to make sure the team dynamics are in place.
“They really do form a good leadership squad for our team, and they’re kind of the nucleus,” Fish said.
Scotts Valley began the fall campaign with four consecutive wins, including a huge victory over Harbor in five sets on Sept. 11.
It snapped a 13-match losing streak to the Pirates, who had won 27 consecutive matches in SCCAL play that dated back to 2023.
Fish made the team set goals on a vision board. Beating Harbor, which is two years removed from winning a Central Coast Section Division IV crown, was one of several objectives on the list.
“I think because Harbor has been so strong the past few years, it just naturally puts a target on their back,” Fish said. “Who doesn’t want to take down the top dog? It is a good sign for us, but it’s not to say that we have it in the bag the next time we play Harbor.”
Fish said even though the Pirates might be on the younger side this season, they are not a team that anyone can sleep on.
“They have the ability to take it right back from us,” Fish said. “I think it’ll be a battle throughout the league.”
Scotts Valley has never won an SCCAL championship, regular season or end-of-the-season tournament.
In order to do so, they’ll have to go through longtime league rivals in Harbor, Aptos, Mount Madonna, San Lorenzo Valley, Santa Cruz and Soquel.
In 2024, the Falcons returned to the SCCAL Tourney finals for the first time in a decade. They also reached the CCS D-IV semifinals for the first time in the program’s history.
Apart from trying to capture a league and section crown, another ambitious goal Scotts Valley has in mind is to advance to the California Interscholastic Federation State playoffs.
Fish said she won’t interfere with the team from trying to reach their goals, but all she could do from here on out is put them in the right places on the court.
“There were a lot of firsts last season, and I just hope that we have a few more firsts this season for us, as well,” Fish said. “I don’t think we have an SCCAL banner on the wall. I would love to be able to do that for these girls, that would be a great cherry on top.”
Next up, Scotts Valley (7-2, 3-0) plays at Sobrato of Morgan Hill on Wednesday at 7pm. The Falcons continue SCCAL play at Mount Madonna School on Sept. 23 at 6:30pm.
