Fall sports season preview: Prep volleyball
A look at each of the 8 local teams; Kofa, YC coming off state-qualifying seasons
The 2017 volleyball season is officially underway.
For Kofa, San Luis, Yuma High, Cibola and Gila Ridge, matches began earlier this week. For Yuma Catholic, Antelope and San Pasqual, openers will be played today.
Here’s a look at each of the eight local volleyball teams this year:
CIBOLA VOLLEYBALL 6A Southern
• Coach: Becky Anderson (2nd season)
• Last season: The Raiders went 6-12 in AIA matches, counting their season-ending loss to Rincon/University in the 6A Southern semifinals, with their only wins coming against San Luis (two), Yuma High (two), Southwest (CA) and Cesar Chavez. They did push Kofa to five sets once, though, something they hadn’t done in five years.
• The lowdown: Cibola, which is already off to a 2-0 start this season, has only four returners — senior middle hitter Mori Gordon, junior outside hitters Honor Owens and Cielo Echols, and junior setter Sadie Mixen. Anderson said all four “are much stronger and very determined and focused this year.” Varsity newcomers to watch out for include junior middle hitter Rylee Lakey — who Anderson said has an advantage with her height and strength — and senior setter Aileen Zavala.
• Coach Anderson says: “I feel I have a lot of talent on this team. We just need to bring it together as a team.”
• Recent history: Cibola last finished above .500 in 2013 (9-8 AIA), and last qualified for state in 2009.
KOFA VOLLEYBALL 6A Southern
• Coach: Brittany Garcia (7th season)
• Last season: The Kings went 15-6 in AIA matches, counting their 1-1 showing at the 6A Southern region tournament, and qualified for the play-in round of the 6A state tournament, where they were eliminated by Sandra Day O’Connor in straight sets. Locally, Kofa went 7-1 (split with Gila Ridge). • The lowdown: Kofa, which is off to a 2-0 start this season, lost star middle blocker Abbey Jensen to graduation but does have several key returners in junior setter Isabel Ponce, senior outside hitter Laura Sanderson and junior right side hitter Keiley Sharp. Ponce led the area in assists a season ago with 565 and ranked among 6A’s leaders in aces with 65.
• Coach Garcia says: “My girls worked extremely hard all summer getting ready for the season. They look strong and I see big things happening for us this season. Our goal is to make it to the region tournament and come out on top.”
• Recent history: The Kings have qualified for state seven straight seasons, and during that stretch, have gone 70-6 against YUHSD opponents (haven’t lost to Cibola or Yuma High since 2009, San Luis since 2011).
SAN LUIS VOLLEYBALL 6A Southern
• Coach: Ricardo Villegas (3rd season)
• Last season: The Sidewinders went 4-13 in AIA matches, beating Yuma High (twice), Palo Verde (CA) and Copper Canyon for their only wins. Eleven of their losses came via straight sets, though they did push Cibola to five sets one meeting and four sets the other.
• The lowdown: The Sidewinders, who opened their season Monday with a straight-sets victory over Yuma High and then lost their second match Tuesday against Calexico (CA), have seven seniors, four juniors and one freshman on this year’s roster. Senior middle hitter Valeria Castro is the team’s top returner.
• Recent history: San Luis, which has made one state appearance in 14 all-time seasons (2009), last finished above .500 in 2011 (10-8 AIA); locally, the Sidewinders have won 17 straight against Yuma High, but lost 14 straight to Kofa and nine straight to both Gila Ridge and Cibola.
GILA RIDGE VOLLEYBALL 4A Southwest
• Coach: Tricia Ellsworth (3rd season)
• Last season: Gila Ridge produced the second-best season in program history, going 13-5 in AIA matches (6-2 region, 7-1 locally). But the Hawks came up just short of a state bid, finishing a game behind Youngker in the 4A Southwest standings and three spots out of at-large qualifying position in the AIA rankings.
• The lowdown: The Hawks lost three key seniors off last year’s team in right side hitter Hannah Weller, outside hitter Brooke-lyn Williams and libero Kylie Espinoza, but do have a number of notable returners. Senior setter Tayler Ellsworth, a reigning all-region selection who totaled 537 assists last season, is the most notable of the bunch, while senior middle Katiana Oviedo and senior outside hitters Shanna Register and Jennifer Slater are also back. Senior libero Kayla Marlatt rounds out the group of five returners. Gila Ridge opened its season with a straight-sets victory over Coronado on Tuesday.
• Coach Ellsworth says: “We always want to stand out in the city. We are setting our sights on a region title this year.”
• Recent history: The Hawks, who have qualified for state once in nine all-time seasons (2014), have finished .500 or better each of the past five seasons and are 39-15 AIA (21-4 locally) over the past three seasons.
YUMA HIGH VOLLEYBALL 4A Southwest
• Coach: Nabila Gaines (1st season)
• Last season: Yuma High went 0-17 in AIA matches, with all but one of those losses coming via straight sets.
• Coach Gaines says: “I have a great group of girls that have been working hard every day at practice since I took over the program a little over three weeks ago. We plan to have a good season and continue to grow as a team and individual volleyball players with each practice and game.”
• Recent history: The Criminals made three straight state appearances from 2007-09; in seven seasons since, they’ve totaled three AIA victories.
YUMA CATHOLIC VOLLEYBALL 3A Metro
• Coach: Dusti Williamson (1st season)
• Last season: The Shamrocks went 12-6 in AIA matches (6-4 region) and qualified for the 3A state tournament as the No. 13 seed. They lost, 3-0, to No. 4 Snowflake in the first round.
• The lowdown: The Shamrocks were reliant on a strong senior class last season, one that featured two Yuma Sun Player of the Year winners (Mariela Rios in 2016 and Emily Rowlison in 2015) and a two-time allregion setter (Alexi Davis). With those players now gone, new leaders will have to emerge — junior outside hitter Joy Morris, sophomore outside hitter Ali Schmunk, senior Mia Sterenberg and senior libero Averi Jo are four players Williamson expects will. YC opens its season today vs. Lake Havasu.
• Coach Williamson says: “Even though we’re young, we’re really aggressive. We have some strong outside hitters, some consistent setters, and even the back row is looking good. If there’s a thing we’re lacking it’s height, but we’re running plays and getting things done.”
• Recent history: Last year marked YC’s sixth consecutive winning season, but the state appearance was its first since 2012 (seventh all time).
ANTELOPE VOLLEYBALL 2A West
• Last season: The Rams (9-7 AIA, 3-7 region) rode a 7-1 start to their third consecutive winning season, but a difficult lateseason schedule/2-6 finish dropped them out of the state-qualifying mix (finished No. 29 in rankings, 24 teams make it in 2A).
• The lowdown: The Rams, who open their season today at home against San Pasqual, lost six seniors off last year’s team; among their notable returners are senior setter Karolina Leon and junior libero Shelby Jones.
• Recent history: Antelope last made state in 2008, back when doing so was the norm for the Rams (10 state appearances from 1997-2008). The program dropped off in 2009, going 4-13 in the first of five straight losing seasons, but got back above .500 in 2014 (9-8) and has remained there (19-13 over last two seasons).
SAN PASQUAL VOLLEYBALL 1A West
• Coach: Miles Jefferson
• Last season: San Pasqual (5-10 AIA, 2-5 region) beat Tohono O’odham twice, Telesis Prep twice and Bagdad to finish with its best record in a decade. Most notable was the season sweep of Tohono O’odham (8-5 AIA), a region opponent San Pasqual had no history of success against.
• Recent history: Last season was the Warriors’ best since 2006, when they made state for the first time. And last season was the third straight in which they won at least three matches, something that prior to 2014 they hadn’t done since, again, 2006.