Girls' volleyball excited about season

Nicholas ZarchenPhoto EditorComing off of a tough loss in last year’s California Interscholastic Federation [CIF] semifinals against Pasadena Polytechnic High School, girls’ volleyball has trained hard in the pre-season and from their performance in league, the girls say that they are back stronger than ever.Over summer, the girls went to the Ann Kang tournament in Hawaii where they placed fourth in the silver division, beating their previous record. The week long tournament gave the team a good idea of where they were headed in season.“We played really tough teams which exposed our strengths and weaknesses and also showed us how we need to play to be a championship team,” captain Jordan Levy said.In addition to the Hawaii tournament, the girls have conditioned and built up their mental game.“This team is extraordinary. We all share the same goal and are capable and willing to do what it takes to get there. Last year we had a great group as well, but this year's team has a stronger sense of trust in one another and it shows on the court. Even though it's still early and we have a lot of growing to do, I know we have it in us to do great things. In order to do that we are going to continue to trust each other to execute the fundamentals of volleyball, to work hard and to play hard,” senior middle blocker Joslyn Hayes said.This sense of trust and camaraderie is rooted in the team's experience. The team has four returning players who have started on varsity all four years and they hope to use their growth over their high school careers to improve the level of play and set the stage for the years to come.“Our experienced team is definitely an upper hand for us. We have really talented ladies on our team and I cannot wait to see how it plays out. Our chemistry has matured, our play has improved, and our mental and physical game is rubbing off onto the younger girls. No doubt, we are growing as team and the potential is great,” Greta Schmittdiel, senior middle blocker, said.Coming off of their strong pre-season, the girls have won both of their first league games.The team demolished rival Beverly Hills on Wednesday, Oct. 3, winning 25-17, 25-12, 25-12. The girls started off slowly but utilized their strong teamwork to execute. The girls got in their groove; their passing improved and hitters were placing the ball.The team also beat league competitor Culver City who proved to be a tougher match. The girls won, though had to fight through all three sets. The third set was riddled with uncharacteristic serving mistakes, passing errors and minimal communication on the court. The girls also were without sophomore starting setter Blossom Sato, who was out with an ankle sprain and was replaced by junior Mary Guirguis."With Blossom [Sato] being injured we did consierably well and took care of business with minimal mistakes. The third game we fell apart midway but we pulled it together inthe end, which once again shows our resilience as a team. Mary [Guirguis] did an exceptional job stepping in for Blossom and having a positive outlook throughout the match," senior opposite Avalon Lennon said.However, despite their mishaps, the girls defeated Culver City High School, making them a dominant team in Ocean League, having already beaten all four of their competitors.With their league record headed in the right direction, the seniors all agree that they want to end this year with what they deserve and hope their devotion can lead them to a title. Throughout their hard work and pre-season routine, the bitter ending to last year remains in their minds.“In Hawaii we had the opportunity to play against awesome [Division 1] teams and we have worked extra hard in pre-season. Playing against that great competition and pushing as a team has put us at an advantage and better prepares us for CIF,” Lennon said. “We are going to keep working hard every day, every game, ever practice, every ball, until we get what we want: a championship opportunity to play for what we know we deserve.”nzarchen@thesamohi.com