Sutter slams Mt. Shasta in opener

Ann Reynolds knows when to pipe up. She's been coaching volleyball long enough to sense when her team needs her to say something.

On Tuesday, she was practically silent, down to the nonexistent postgame speech.

"We'll see you guys tomorrow," the Sutter High volleyball coach said to her players.

There isn't much room for rah-rah like pep talks in the Huskies' routine. This is how it usually goes down: The Huskies win, easily, then the seniors pick up the chairs, the juniors take down the net and the team saunters away from the gym smiling because of a job well done.

This game was no different. Even when it's the postseason, the semi-autonomous Huskies keep rolling along. Mt. Shasta was the latest victim as Brenna McDonald tallied 19 kills in a 25-15, 25-12, 25-15 sweep in the first round of the Northern Section Division IV playoffs.

"I don't really need to tell them anything," Reynolds said.

She's just that impressed with a group of girls striving to get back to the title game. From Katie Olson's eight kills to Sam Foster's 28 assists, the Huskies (37-9) are performing at a level which Reynolds thinks will get them back to Red Bluff, where they lost a year ago to West Valley.

"To peak right at playoff time is all you can ask for and I'm seeing them do that," Reynolds said. "I think if we played how we played tonight, it's going to be good."

How they played was efficient and dominant, creating a suffocating momentum that stifled the Bears' best attempts to have any kind of continuity or run. The longest Mt. Shasta streak was three points, and the Bears only led once: 1-0 in game two.

It was exactly what Reynolds envisioned when the Huskies were awarded the No. 2 overall seed. For the previous five seasons, Sutter was No. 1. With the bump down, new top team West Valley had a bye while the Huskies had to play their way into the second round. The coach was enthusiastic about another chance for her girls to play at home, and they don't disappoint when given the opportunity.

Katelynne Cavalli added five kills, Shaila Gidel had four kills and five digs and McDonald contributed nine digs.

"(Playing) keeps the juices flowing and it gets them mentally prepared," Reynolds said.

That flow will get a sterner test next Tuesday when the Huskies host No. 3 Central Valley, which swept sixth-seeded Yreka in its first-round win. The Falcons are no stranger to the Huskies, having lost to them in the title game in 2008. They also feature standout outside hitter Bre MacKie, an NCAA-caliber player.

But Reynolds isn't worried, and is excited about a possible rematch with the Eagles. And all the proof you need is in her lack of loud-speaking.

"This has been one of the best teams I've had," she said. "They get along with each other and they get along with me."