The Menlo School girls' volleyball team matched up with some of the best teams in the country and finished eighth in the Platinum Bracket of the 64-team Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona this past weekend.

The Knights played six best-of-three matches in the national showcase. They opened with 2-0 victories over Anchorage and Corona Del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.).

Next they played national power St. Joseph's Academy (St. Louis, Missouri) and lost 2-1 to the eventual TOC bracket runner-up.

"The highlight of the tournament was playing some of our best volleyball against one of the nation's top teams," Menlo coach Atlee Hubbard said of St. Joseph's, which features several top NCAA Division I recruits. "In the first set we couldn't stop their offense, but in set 2, the team played outstanding defense at the net and back row and we forced set 3. That game was close until Academy's best player found a way to score on us and finished the game.

"After seeing our performance in that match I think our team knows the level of volleyball we are capable of playing."

Menlo (5-1, 18-10) resumes West Bay Athletic League (Foothill Division) play Tuesday against visiting Woodside Priory at 5:45 p.m.

Girls' water polo
Sacred Heart Prep continued its preparation for a title defense in the Central Coast Section playoffs by taking two matches at the UC Davis Classic on Saturday.

The Gators (15-4) defeated Marin Catholic, 10-2, and edged Las Lomas in overtime, 12-11.

Morgan McCracken had four goals and Caitlin Stuewe added two in the Marin Catholic match while P.J. Bigley, Kate Bocci and Stuewe all had three goals against Las Lomas as goalie Kelly Moran came up with nine saves.

Sacred Heart Prep will put its 4-0 mark in the West Catholic Athletic League on the line Wednesday against visiting St. Francis to decide the West Catholic Athletic League regular-season title. That match will be a tuneup for this weekend's NorCal Invitational, hosted by SHP.

— Pam McKenney on Menlo volleyball/Palo Alto Online Sports

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.