With the second season around the corner women’s beach volleyball aims to go back to state after having a successful inaugural season in 2015.
The beach volleyball team’s record last year was 11-5 overall and 3-2 in the Orange Empire – Kerri Walsh Jennings conference, with one of the duos making it to the state semi-finals.
The team will be playing in the Western State Conference this season.
Coach Le Valley Pattison said that the team is much more improved from last season.
“We will have five solid teams going into this season. Which is good for overall team success,” Pattison said.
Pattison has multiple returners on this years team from both indoor volleyball and beach volleyball including sophomores Brooke Russell, Nickeisha Williams, Laynie Thompson and Sadie Fraker.
“Having some of the indoor volleyball girls here just makes them a well-rounded player,” Pattison said.
Pattison is still giving the team time to adjust to the sand because a majority of them have never played on the sand Pattison added.
Returning players Russell and Williams are out to prove something after being eliminated in the Sand Volleyball Individual State Championships at Irvine Valley College last year.
“I’m really excited about this season, we’ve been working really hard in practice,” Russell said.
Another powerful duo returning to this year’s team is Thompson and Fraker. They were ranked the No. 2 duo on the team last year, but hope to make a leap into the playoffs.
Fraker said she was a little rusty during the first practice of the season because she hasn’t played since the last.
“It was a bit rough at first, but I got into it and now I’m playing OK now,” Fraker said.
Thompson and Fraker plan to continue dominating the competition, as much as possible, and secure the No. 1 ranking in state.
“You got to strive for the best,” Thompson said. “We’ve been playing together now for awhile so it shouldn’t be too difficult securing the number one spot.”
She hasn’t assigned doubles’ teams and currently watching how the team operates as a whole unit.
Pattison always has an emphasis on competing everyday and team chemistry is very key for doubles volleyball.
“I’m going to give them a few (more) weeks before we start putting teams together,” Pattison said.
Williams has been working hard to get back to the State Championships and she said that she and Russell are really focusing on the defensive side of their game.
“Brooke and I made it really far last year. This year we want to go all the way and get that ring on my finger,” Williams said.
Their first game will be at home on March 4 at 10:30 a.m. versus Long Beach City College and Cypress College.
