Colunga wins ESL MVP; Medrano, Cabral, Arguelles on 1st team

The Strathmore volleyball team lost in the Division IV first round but reaped most of the rewards at the ESL all-league meeting this week.

Sophomore outside hitter Nayeli Colunga earned MVP honors after shining at the net and in the back row for Julie Chapman’s team throughout the Spartans (27-7, 7-1 ESL) league-championship season.

Colunga blasted a season-high 20 kills against Woodlake, Nov. 3 and recorded 19 in her team’s five-game loss to Kingsburg in the Division IV playoffs.

She joined her teammates, senior outside hitters Amelia Medrano and Denise Cabral, on the first team and that nucleus brought Strathmore its first league championship of the decade. Medrano’s high-water mark came when she smacked 13 kills in the Spartans’ 3-2 marathon victory over Lindsay, Oct. 13. Cabral was perhaps the Spartans’ best defender and served five straight aces to help beat Lindsay in round two.

Lindsay had a tough season, tying for last in the ESL, as it struggled to rebuild after losing its top two players from 2008.

Sophomore libero Alexsis Arguelles did land on the first team, however. Arguelles averaged 8.2 digs per game and tallied more than 30 in each ESL contenst, including two 50-plus dig nights.

Freshman Kennedy Blue was on the second team. Blue led the Cardinals to wins in three of their last four games and registered more than 11 kills in each match.

Joining Blue on the second team were Spartans Maribel Bravo (junior middle blocker) and Hailey Tsuboi (sophomore setter). Bravo had 15 kills against Corcoran.

Cardinals junior outside hitter Lindsay Blue, who joined Kennedy as the team’s other offensive force, and senior setter Brittany Gutierrez were honorable mentions along with Spartan junior outside hitter Maira Fernandez and sophomore setter Hailey Tsuboi.