Led by an impressive and experienced lineup, the Lancers have their sights set on a CIF title this year with a bounceback season that took many by surprise.
It has been quite the impressive turnaround for a team that lost 20 of their 27 games the season prior, even more so considering that over half the team are set to return for next year, setting up Lancers girls volleyball for multiple successful seasons in years to come with a strong young core.
“The younger girls have brought a positivity and sense of family to the court. Most of them play on a club team together, so they came in with great chemistry,” said senior outside hitter Chloe Mayhue. “I [do not] think age is a divider for our team.”
Though the team has a strong young core, the experienced seniors leading the them, such as Mayhue, have made a large impact on the entirety of the program this season, building new chemistry with the underclassmen while maintaining strong bonds between themselves over the course of this year.
It is the new players though that have caught many peoples’ eyes, putting up impressive numbers, such as freshman opposite Kayla Murdoch’s 41 blocks on the season so far.
Chemistry between teammates is a huge point of emphasis this year for the program. With so many younger players on Varsity, it has never been so vital that the players build relationships early in the season.
“The younger players contribute by working hard and pushing the older players,” said head Varsity coach James Park. “We have players working hard to make the team and the [other] players better.”
While also performing well in the games, one of the main responsibilities of these older players is passing down traditions, and knowledge of the game to the underclassman as they progress through the program.
“It is so nice to be able to have somebody to look up to and [other players] to help you with your skills when you need it. [They] are all so good,” said sophomore defensive specialist Maddie Cupples.
The Lancers currently sit ranked third in Division 3, putting them in a prime spot to make a push for a CIF title. With a very convincing record of 17-8 and strong play throughout the season shows that the Lancers are a force to be reckoned with in both Marmonte and the entirety of CIF.
With playoffs approaching, the Lancers look to build momentum by closing out the league season with strong showings in their final four regular season games of the year.
They know it will be a tough fight to win, but with both an experienced group leading the way, as well as a promising young core of players, the Lancers’ bounceback season is in full swing. It seems another championship banner in the rafters of the gym is very much an obtainable goal for this group as they attempt to carry their momentum to the postseason and take home a CIF title.