Summit Shasta volleyball makes program history

The Summit Shasta girls’ volleyball team not only embarked on its first season of league play this year but also earned the title of co-champion--a historic start for the young athletic program.

This year, Summit Shasta of Daly City joined the Private School Athletic League North Division (PSAL North). The formal recognition of the school and its sports program started strongly with the volleyball team challenging Alma Heights Christian High School, creating a rivalry--a new challenge Alma Heights had not faced within its division in years. The two teams eventually became co-champions, sharing the top spot within the division for the year.

The shared title is in part due to a match up of the two teams in October, when Summit Shasta swept Alma Heights. The Shasta win ended a 42-game league winning streak for Alma Heights, dating back to 2013, and set the bar high for the young team new to the league. It also led to the teams having matching overall records for the year, forcing a co-championship between the two teams in the PSAL North.

“Going into the league, we knew the girls had a lot of skill and experience but we didn’t know as much about the other teams,” said Coach Gina Sigillo. “It took a few games to realize we were a strong team defensively.”

Summit Shasta, part of Summit Public Schools, was founded in 2013. One requirement to joining an official athletic league is that a school has had graduates. Summit Shasta celebrated its first graduating class this spring, making this the first year the school was eligible to compete within the league.

Summit Shasta Athletic Director Michael Lofberg explained Summit Shasta has always had a strong volleyball team. This year’s team is unique, however, as the previous team was mostly seniors. By comparison, this year’s team only had one senior, creating a strong foundation for next year when the program might expand to include a JV team given the interest.

Coach Sigillo attributed the team’s success to the young women who make up the team, their parents and the broader school community. While the Summit Shasta team had played recreationally in recent years, Sigillo was new this year. She was excited to work with a skilled team that had a number of players able to take on different positions. Her work was aided by the team captains, Arianna Gomez and Dominique Velarde, a senior and a junior respectively.

“[The players] supported me just as much as I supported them. I think it speaks a lot to the girls but also to the parents. It’s a really good community,” Sigillo said.

Sigillo added that the team worked hard both on the court as well as off managing a tough competitive schedule as well as their academics.

To learn more about Summit Shasta, visit http://shasta.summitps.org/.