You might have noticed that you don’t recognize anyone on the JV volleyball team. The main reason is that there are no returning players from last year’s team. The class of 2028 has some outstanding female athletes who showed out at tryouts this year. Only one sophomore, Navah Haskell, who ironically did not make the team her freshman year, returned at tryouts. Haskell worked very hard last off-season to secure a spot on this year’s team.
“Being the only sophomore I have a different perspective on things than the freshman cause they’ve known each other,” Haskell said. However, the team had good chemistry and bonded quickly after practicing and spending more time together.
Most of the girls on the team previously went to Pacific Union, where their coach, Tish Osborne, prepared them well for high school-level volleyball. Many of the girls on the team participated in the summer open gyms that varsity coach Laurie Griffith puts on from July through August. They all got ready for the intense competition they would eventually face in the fall. “It definitely helped me with what we should know already how to do and understand the concept of volleyball,” Karely Ruiz, libero of the team, said.
JV Head Coach, Amy Monier, had some hard decisions to make during the only three-day tryout. Both Monier and her new assistant coach Kat Rifilato could see the players that stood out on the court from day one. Around 40 athletes showed up with the hopes of making the 12-player roster, including many players from last year’s team. The 2027 team had few strong volleyball players, with the exception of Eliana Kanzler who made the varsity team, and Haskell who made JV.
Freshman hitter Colbie Collins said, “Everybody for the most part is pretty supportive on the team and nobody has tried to cause any issues yet.” Maybe starting fresh with a brand new team was exactly what this program needs to succeed.
There is a lot of talent out there, and the girls are working hard to win every game. “We all bonded well when we first got started and no one really questioned it. We all just kind of acted as a team right away,” freshman Betty Miles said.