It takes a village to stockpile MCAL and North Coast Section championships.
When the Marin Catholic High girls basketball team vies for a third consecutive NCS title on Friday, the foundation for the Wildcats’ success was partially laid before this year’s three-time league champs were even born.
The top-seeded Wildcats (20-10) won their sixth straight game Tuesday, dispatching American Canyon, 64-43, in the NCS Division III semifinals. MC meets No. 2 Maria Carrillo (20-9) for the NCS championship at Dominican University on Friday or Saturday, time still to be determined.
Among the Marin Catholic players who have never lost to an MCAL opponent, senior Alyssa Spagnuolo and freshman Brooke Spagnuolo come from a very successful basketball lineage. Their mom, Nicole (Silacci) Spagnuolo, was a superstar at Santa Clara University.
Playing under then-head coach Caren Horstmeyer, Nicole Spagnuolo led the Broncos in rebounding for three seasons from 1994-97. The two-time all-West Coast Conference player still ranks No. 4 for field-goal percentage at .560 from the 1995-96 season. Santa Clara earned a trip to the NCAA tournament her freshman season.
“The Spagnuolo family has been so supportive of our program from the beginning,” said Marin Catholic coach Ashley Saia. “They understand the commitment level of high school athletics and beyond, which I am sure goes back to Nicole being a college athlete.”
Alyssa Spagnuolo, a 5-foot-10 shooting guard and defensive specialist, was just named to the MCAL second team. Brooke Spagnuolo is 5-9 a guard who provides impressive speed off the bench.
The Spagnuolos have actually turned Horstmeyer into a big MC fan. Horstmeyer, a member of the Marin Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, is a 1980 Redwood grad and mother of the Giants’ former league MVP Kylie, who plays for University of San Diego. Conversely, the Spagnuolos, who live in San Rafael, used to be on the Redwood bandwagon while Kylie played for the Giants.
“The Horstmeyers have always been huge for me and a big part of my family and my basketball journey,” said Alyssa Spagnuolo, who started playing in kindergarten. “I used to go to all of Kylie’s home games and some away games. She’s just an incredible player who learned from her mom, who is an incredible player.”
While Nicole Spagnuolo says she leaves her daughters’ skill development to their coaches, she believes she’s helped them when it comes to mental toughness, which she learned while playing under Horstmeyer.
“A lot of it is how to handle adversity, how to work through things, how to be a good sport,” said Nicole Spagnuolo. “Those were things that Caren was adamant that Santa Clara represented — good sportsmanship and work ethic. That’s what I’ve tried to relay to the kids.”
The Spagnuolo sisters are fixtures at the annual Caren Horstmeyer Girls Basketball Camp. Starting as a camper, Alyssa has been promoted to counselor and coach. Brooke will be a counselor in training this summer.
“Alyssa is truly a special young woman,” said Horstmeyer, “She’s an unsung hero for her team. Not a big scorer but makes plays with steals, defense and rebounds.”
As the Wildcats aim for their third consecutive NCS championship, Saia is fully aware of the importance of establishing a winning culture.
“It has been really fun to have (Spagnuolo) sisters on the team,” said Saia. “It provides a special way to pass down the culture of the team and program because the younger sister already knows how we do things.”
Due to their age difference, this is the first time the sisters have been on the same team at any level. And the Spagnuolos aren’t taking it for granted.
“As a parent, it’s just so sweet to watch the two of them play together,” said Nicole Spagnuolo. “It’s just been a fabulous season and I’m going to hang on to it as long as I can.”
“This has been something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” said Alyssa Spagnuolo. “When I chose Marin Catholic I was always hoping Brooke would choose MC, too. It’s something super special and I’m just going to soak up every moment.”
