Nordhoff Validates Ranking With Sweep of Paso Robles

Nordhoff High might have been missing a key component Saturday night in its girls’ volleyball showdown with Paso Robles, but the host Rangers still performed like a fine-tuned machine in a 15-4, 15-13, 15-0 nonleague victory.

The Rangers, ranked No. 1 in Southern Section Division IV, played without middle blocker Tacy Franklin, who stretched ligaments in her right ankle earlier this week. That forced Nordhoff to shuffle several players to fill the gap, but it didn’t keep the team from sending a firm message to No. 2 Paso Robles and other schools in the division.

“We know we’re No. 1,” said middle blocker Alison Nofrey, who led all hitters with 16 kills.

With the division’s top two teams meeting, the pre-match atmosphere was similar to that of the playoffs.

“Everyone was very nervous,” said Ranger setter Sami Sawyer, who had the additional responsibility of filling in for Franklin on the front row. “I was really scared playing middle for the first time, but I just decided to be aggressive.”

Sawyer responded with 13 kills and 26 assists, and her sister, Jami, added 10 kills in the diversified Ranger attack.

Nordhoff (9-0) established its dominance early, turning a 4-3 deficit into a one-game lead with a 12-0 run behind the hitting prowess of Nofrey and the Sawyers.

The Rangers built a 7-2 advantage in game two before Paso Robles (3-5) sped up its attack behind the play of setter Alyson McCluskey and middle blocker Summer Davis to storm ahead, 10-7. But Nordhoff tied the score, 13-13, on two kills by Nofrey and closed it out on a spike by Nofrey and an ace by Julie Sandefur.