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SAN RAMON VALLEY: RUDD STAYS HOME
Alyssa Rudd didn’t start her basketball career at San Ramon Valley, but the 5-foot-8 senior embodies everything that the Danville program stands for.
Rudd, a transfer from crosstown rival school Monte Vista, shined as one of the Wolves’ star players despite playing just over half of the last season. In a season that was supposed to be a rebuilding one for SRV, Rudd helped propel the Wolves to the North Coast Section Open Division title.
Her play didn’t go unnoticed by Division I programs, but the Danville native has decided to stay close to home. She announced her commitment to San Jose State this past weekend.
“Alyssa is not 6-foot-2, she’s not a player that can dunk or she’s not someone you walk into the gym and say ‘That’s what I want,’” SRV coach John Cristiano said. “She’s always out there trying to prove something and she knew where she wanted to go. So once she knew it, I knew it. I said, ‘Great job, kid. Now we can work on just a great season getting you ready for college ball.’
“It all kind of felt right.”
Rudd averaged 14.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game last season and was an all-Bay Area News Group first-team selection. Cristiano called her the “single best rebounder of any size” he’s ever coached and lauded Rudd for her ability to buy into SRV’s culture so quickly.
She will be leading SRV into a crucial season as the Wolves are expected to not only win another NCS Open title, but compete for a chance to represent NorCal in a CIF state championship game.
The scrappy senior will be a big part of trying to make that goal a reality.
“Between her and Ella Gunderson, we put in a lot of new stuff to feature them and get them into positions to be successful and succeed because their skill dimensions have really developed since last year,” Cristiano said.
Rudd is one of the first players to commit to SJSU since the Spartans introduced new coach Jonas Chatterton last spring. Cristiano relished in the fact that Rudd is staying local.
“I already told her, we will go see her,” Cristiano said. “I can’t wait to bring the team and myself over to see Alyssa play because she will play down the road at San Jose, and I’m really excited about that. She’ll do great.”
– Nathan Canilao
ST. FRANCIS: ANOTHER SOFTBALL STAR HEADING TO STANFORD
St. Francis shortstop Peyton Tsao isn’t the first Lancers player to join Stanford softball, but she is the latest.
Tsao, a junior standout who was named a West Catholic Athletic League first-teamer as a sophomore, announced on the X platform that she has committed to Stanford.
“Staying home. Committed,” Tsao wrote. “So thankful for this opportunity.”
When Tsao joins the Cardinal in the fall of 2027, she’ll have Ava Bulanti, her former St. Francis teammate, to lean on for advice. Bulanti joined Stanford this fall after a standout career with the Lancers that saw her named the WCAL co-pitcher of the year as a senior.
Tsao is ranked the No. 16 player in the Class of 2027 by Line Drive Media.
— Christian Babcock
ARAGON: SHORTSTOP COMMITS TO CLEMSON
Just up the road in San Mateo, another standout softball junior secured her college future at a very different Atlantic Coast Conference school.
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Aragon shortstop Taylor Workman announced her commitment to Clemson, giving the Tigers a pledge from one of the Bay Area’s best young middle infielders. Workman was named to the all-Bay Area News Group second team after a stellar sophomore season in which she hit .597 with 43 hits, 28 runs scored, 20 RBIs, 20 extra-base hits and 20 walks. She also stole 19 bases.
She was also the co-Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division player of the year and is ranked the No. 60 junior prospect in the country by Softball America.
“Workman is an explosive middle infielder with an elite skill set,” the publication wrote in its scouting report. “She can cover a ton of ground on defense, has a strong arm, and has the unique combination of power and speed at the plate.”
When she isn’t playing for Aragon, Workman plays club softball for Warrior Academy, the same organization that Bulanti played with before she enrolled at Stanford.
— Christian Babcock