Thomassen said if Kreitenberg again has a great match Saturday night, his team has a chance at La Jolla Country Day. She is playing her best volleyball at the right time for the Lightning, one of just four Orange County teams still playing in the state playoffs.
The three other teams are Los Al, Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar.
"I think a big thing about her is that she's helped put Sage on the stage with the other big schools in the area," Thomassen said. "We're kind of sharing the stage with the Laguna Beaches, the Corona del Mars, the Newport Harbors as a solid volleyball program. She's a big reason for that."
One thing Thomassen does know about Saturday's match is that Kreitenberg will give everything she's got.
And now, it's all for the team.
"Even though she's a captain, to put the team first was not always easy for her," Thomassen said. "That's been monumental … She's gone from the girl who wanted to get set every time, to the girl who just wants the team to win every time. It's been a slow change, but an important one, because we share the ball. Our freshmen get kills, and [junior] Maggie Danner's a big part of our offense, whether she's middle or outside.
