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As a guard in high school basketball, if you are going to be among the team leaders in rebounds, you need a certain amount of aggressiveness.
You need to be Alyssa Rudd of San Ramon Valley.
A guard for the Wolves, Rudd recently hit a milestone few girls in high school basketball attain, crossing the barrier of over 1,200 points and 1,000 rebounds.
“She’s got the competitiveness of a freaking tiger,” said San Ramon Valley coach John Cristiano. “She’s been a gift to us.”
Starting as a freshman at Monte Vista, Rudd felt the 1,200/1,000 mark was unattainable.
“I mean no – as a freshman I would have never thought was possible,” Rudd said. “I always have had a nose for the ball.”
Following strong freshman and sophomore campaigns, Rudd went crosstown to San Ramon Valley. Not an easy thing, given she was stepping into a program that is among the elite in Northern California.
“It is tough to make that change,” Cristiano said of the move. “You have to prove yourself. She showed her heart and soul to the girls and they brought her in.”
And it was the love of the players and coaches that made things smoother.
“Coming to San Ramon Valley and seeing how supportive everyone was – it has changed my game,” Rudd said. “As a team we are all so close.”
Rudd grew up playing basketball as well as soccer, a sport she attributes for helping her with her basketball game.
“I played soccer and softball when I was younger,” explained Rudd. “I was decent at soccer and playing (basketball and soccer) really helped with my footwork. It was good for me to do the other sports.”
“I would have all our girls play multiple sports,” Cristiano said. “Flag football and soccer help so much with their footwork.”
Now a senior who will move on to San Jose State next year to play basketball, Rudd and her teammates are driven to a common goal.
“A state title is what we want,” she said.
Last year the Wolves came one game short of the CIF NorCal final, falling 69-62 to Clovis West in the semifinals. That came after rolling to the NCS Open Division title, where as the No. 2 seed they beat top-seeded Acalanes 76-43 in the finals.
“I think our biggest goal is to stay together as a team,” Rudd said. “We are all so close. Last year it seemed like we were underdogs.”
And they were with a team without one senior, as the 2024-25 Wolves had a roster of two juniors, eight sophomores and three freshmen.
Still a young team in 2025-26, they have been taking care of business thus far, with a record of 9-2 through their first 11 games. Their losses have come to NorCal powerhouse St. Mary’s of Stockton (55-50 on the road) and to the No. 12 team in the country, Bishop Montgomery of Maryland, 51-40.
The loss to Bishop Mongomery came in the top bracket of the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona.
When this season and school year is over, it will be a new mission for Rudd to tackle – playing college basketball for San Jose State.
During her recruitment, it was how at ease the Spartans made her feel.
“For me it was the coaching staff,” Rudd said. “I felt good when I have talked with them. It’s also nice being so close to home so my family can watch me play.”
Rudd also knows what the challenges will be.
“It’s scary,” Rudd said of moving on to college. “I’ll be leaving friends but I’m ready for what’s next – I’ll be stepping into the next part of my life.”
Editor’s note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports writer for DanvilleSanRamon.com. This column is part of his Tri-Valley Preps Playbook, a weekly sports e-newsletter published by Embarcadero Media Foundation. To sign up for free, visit here.
