Unbeaten league run highlights girls basketball season

The CVCHS girls basketball team enjoyed an impressive run during the 2025-2026 season. The Ugly Eagles finished second among North Coast Section Division 1 teams and sixth overall in NCS, according to MaxPreps’ final rankings.

They ended the season with a record of 23-10 overall and went undefeated in the Diablo Athletic League at 11-0. 

In the open division of the NCS bracket, Clayton Valley beat Bishop O’Dowd in the first round 75-64, eventually losing to San Ramon Valley in the semifinals 74-44. The team still qualified for the Division 1 CIF championship. The Eagles had a good first-round game, upsetting No. 4 seed Caruthers 57-51. They ended their season with a close loss against Priory 45-44.

Ella Scott, a junior power forward and center, averaged 14.2 points per game. Scott reflected  on both positives and negatives of this season.

“I feel like we improved a lot, but there is some work to be done,” Scott said.

The team itself needs some improvements but Scott has some of her own.

“Getting my mentality a little bit more right and being more vocal.”

Ella Scott was Clayton Valley's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer this season. (Photo by Nat Magallion)

Alyssa Pluth, in her second season as a Clayton Valley assistant coach, expressed how the team did overall.

“It was really fun," Pluth said. “I would say that the girls taught me a lot, as much as I could teach them. I think that we went as far as we physically and mentally could, but it was really, it was overall just a really fun season.”

The season overall was good but there was some tough competition against Piedmont in NCS. Clayton Valley lost to Piedmont 58-53 in the open division’s third-place game.

“I would consider them, like, our rivals,” Pluth said. “We matched up pretty well, and we’ve had past encounters of just going back and forth between winning and losing.”

But with some tough losses comes a mental challenge. 

“It was our very last game of NCS before we went into state,” Pluth said. “I think that stung a little for the girls, we did lose a little bit of momentum.”

Reagan Richards Costello, a power forward,  expressed how she felt about her senior season.

“I really love my performance,” Costello said. “It was the best season I’ve had in my four years.”

Since it is Costello's last high school season she’s found basketball can help her in the future.

“Like the emotional maturity and, like, learning how to control that,” Costello said. “Not getting so heated in the moment, and then just (learning) more time management.”