Alhambra-Santa Catalina volleyball

State Northern California Division III Quarterfinals
Saturday's game
Alhambra (26-6) at Santa Catalina (26-0),  6 p.m.
 Runner ups in the North Coast Section, the No. 9 seeded Bulldogs had little trouble in opening the state tournament with a four-set win over Hilmar.
 Prior to its loss to Marin Catholic in the NCS finals, Alhambra had rattled off 13 straight wins, 11 by sweeps to reach the finals.
 Three players have compiled over 200 kills for the Bulldogs, led by 6-foot-2 Sterling Parker's 349. The junior also has 101 blocks this fall.
 For the second straight season, the Central Coast Section Division V champion Cougars are sitting at 26-0 and hosting a quarterfinals match -- albeit two divisions higher this year.
 Santa Catalina hasn't been particularly sharp throughout the playoffs, although it has swept all four postseason opponents.
 Co-Mission Trail Athletic League Most Valuable Player McKinley Fox has recorded 735 assists this season, with Saige Madden and Maria Santos both compiling over 250 kills.
 The Cougars were balanced at the net in Wednesday's sweep of Woodland with Madden, Santos and sophomore Jessica Clements each having 12 or more kills.
 Key contributions also came from Alicia Rector and Kia Shoemaker, halting Woodland runs, while Olivia Satow added to her school record dig total with 28.
 Yet, the mental mistakes were a concern after the win. While Santa Catalina isn't an emotional team to begin with, the energy on the court was missing.
 Over the last two years, the Cougars are 53-1. Dating back to 2015, they have won 31 straight home matches.