Pitman High volleyball coach Kristin Pontes-Christian greeted a contingent of well-wishers following the fourth-seeded Pride’s 25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 25-20 loss to No. 5 Folsom in the quarterfinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 playoffs.
The loss came just a week after the Journal reported that she’d be stepping down as head coach upon the completion of the 2023 season.
That season-ending loss appeared to come Wednesday night.
But Pontes-Christian couldn’t bring herself to tell her supporters that the season — and her high school coaching career — might not yet be over.
“I didn’t have the heart to tell them that we still have a chance to play,” Pontes-Christian said after the gym cleared.
A victory over Folsom would’ve vaulted the Pride (33-6) into the D-1 semifinals and guaranteed them a berth in the CIF Northern California regional tournament.
But one quarterfinalist gets an at-large NorCal bid, and Pitman learned Friday morning it will be that team.
Pontes-Christian isn’t done yet.
“We’ve always said it’s the highest-ranked quarterfinal loser,” said SJS assistant commissioner Will DeBoard. “That team usually comes from D-1.”
According to the latest MaxPreps rankings, the top 10 teams in the section are St. Mary’s, Folsom, Oak Ridge, Rocklin, Christian Brothers (Sacramento), Granite Bay, Pitman, St. Francis, Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove), and Rio Americano (Sacramento).
St. Mary’s, Folsom, Oak Ridge and Rocklin are the D-1 semifinalists and will automatically advance to the NorCal tournament. Christian Brothers (D-3) and Rio Americano (D-2) also have reached their respective semifinal rounds. St. Francis and Pleasant Grove, like Pitman, were ousted in the D-1 quarters, but Pitman was the highest-ranked team not to reach the semifinal round.
Pontes-Christian is just happy for her players.
“Yes, I am,” said Pontes-Christian. “Second chances don’t happen very often.”
According to Pitman athletic director Dustin Curtiss, who did a cursory crunching of the numbers, the Pride could end up in Division 2.
“When it comes to the state tournament, it’s all about competitive equity,” said Curtiss. “The top eight teams, regardless of enrollment, will go into the Open Division, the next 16 will be in Division 1, the next 16 in Division 2, and so on. Looking at the MaxPreps and CIF rankings, I have us somewhere in the 30s, so that would put us in Division 2.”
The section championship match won’t take place until Nov. 4, so the Pride will have to wait until Nov. 5 to learn their opponent and in which division they’ll compete.
Against Folsom, sophomore Maryn Hall registered a staggering 18 kills as she and Bulldogs hitter Addie Kannegeisser, who will attend UC Irvine next year, engaged in their own personal heavyweight prizefight, trading thunderous blows throughout the contest.
Senior setter Payton Rowell had 42 assists in what she thought was the final game of her career.
“I was on a field trip Friday and wasn’t with the rest of my team when they got the news,” said Rowell. “I was pretty emotional after the game because I thought it was the final game of my career. The possibility of playing on was mentioned afterwards, but not really emphasized because it wasn’t a certainty. But when I found out, I was in shock. They texted me and I was like, ‘No way!’ My whole mood changed. It was exciting.
“This is our second chance.”
