By Thomas Gase, Times-Herald, Vallejo, Calif. The Tribune Content Agency
After a perfect season in the Bay Valley Conference that included the Falcons 69th consecutive win in conference play, the Solano College women's volleyball team has earned a home playoff match on Tuesday in the 3CSA Northern California Regional Playoff Bracket.
The Falcons will play against Shasta, which Solano beat earlier in the year in five games.
"We played Shasta to a 5-set win on Sept. 11th, only winning 15-13 in the 5th," Solano head coach Darla Williams said. "So we are playing a well-matched team, they have an amazing outside hitter who is their main go-to player."
The matchup announcement comes a few days after many Falcons were named to the all-conference team. Bethel High graduate Vanya Paopao was named as the MVP of the Bay Valley Conference. She was also named the Setter of the Year.
Paopao had a season-high of 628 assists She was second on the team with aces at 64, serving at 95 percent. She was a first-team all BVC last year and a All-NorCal Player for the state (this honor only goes to 12 players in Northern California). Vanya has a two year total of 301 kills, 588 digs, 128 aces and 1125 assists.
First Team honors went to: Vanden High graduates Jada Cuffie and Breanna Davis, along with AJ Projillo and Aliyah Aguiar .
Cuffie was a starting middle hitter, and was tops in the Bay Valley Conference for hitting percentage (.549) and tops for blocks per set. She has 297 kills and 88 blocks on the season.
Davis received first-team honors in 2023 as well, she is No. 18 in the entire state in total digs, and is second in the conference in total digs. She is also second in the conference for digs per set. She has a two year total of 192 kills, 86 aces, 744 digs and 869 assists.
Projillo was also named the Libero of the Year. She is third in the entire state in digs per set (5.0) and third in the state in total digs (525). In the conference she is tops in digs and aces per set. Her two-year total is 103 aces and 656 digs.
Aguiar has played both middle hitter and outside hitter this season. She is fourth in total kills in the conference and third on the team in total kills (234).
Vanessa Semien made the 2nd Team All Bay Valley Conference squad. She is fourth in the conference in total kills (252) and eighth in total digs (269) in the conference.
Giana Guintu was named Honorable Mention. Guintu plays both six rotations as an outside hitter and is also a defensive specialist. As a first-year player she is eighth in digs per set in the conference.
"We are very honored that we got all of this recognition," Williams said. "Our team is one of the best from top to bottom that I have coached at Solano. I am humbled that our conference coaches saw the talent that we have here at Solano and rewarded it."