Aliso Niguel High’s girls volleyball team returns to the courts this year as they are ready to dominate their 2023 season. However, as they do so, the pressure to win is on for them.
The team currently holds the title of 4x South Coast League Champions. Along with that, in 2021 they also earned themselves the honor of Queens Court Champions and CIFS D2 Champions.
Their coach, Richie Whiting, will be the one leading them again this season.
Coach Whiting says that, “because we have a history of success, every new group of players is determined to keep the legacy going.”
She continued to say that for this specific season, “our main goal is to continue creating trust and a strong team bond. If we do that, I believe we will find ourselves contending for a league championship again.”
Also leading the players this year is team captain Riley Barr (12). Barr has been playing on the Varsity Volleyball team for three consecutive years.
She stated that, “my goal is to enjoy my final season and win League with my team!”
In preparation for this year’s upcoming games, the players have been practicing religiously as they face a new obstacle that the season has brought them.
“Our team is small in numbers,” says Whiting, “We have graduated nine seniors three years in a row. This is the smallest roster I have ever had on Varsity. . . the girls are getting a lot of reps in practice and they are getting trained hard, but it leaves us with few options when players are struggling.”
However, to combat this problem, the team has been competing a lot in tournaments, as the coach believes that playing tough competition is the only way to prepare for a competitive season.
Nevertheless, first up in their competitive season, the team played against the Beckman Patriots. The bleachers were packed with family and friends coming to support and cheer on the team in great anticipation. Sadly, the players suffered a heavy defeat as they lost 3-1 with a strong start but difficulty keeping their offense up and going throughout the game.
Unfortunately, the players weren’t able to turn things around and lost their next two games as well to the Poway Titans (2-1) and the Santa Margarita Eagles (2-0).
But in spite of that, the team scored their first victory on Aug. 19, against Mission Viejo with a score of 2-0. The players and crowds were ecstatic with triumph! In addition, the team was able to keep up their winning streak and also won against the Capistrano Valley Cougars (2-0) and the Newport Harbor Sailors (2-1).
But yet, the tables turned when the girls went up against Santa Margarita again as they lost 3-1. Furthermore, in their next games the team lost three and won two. They lost to JSerra Catholic, Corona Del Mar and Dana Hills while defeating Laguna Beach and Foothill.
As of now, the team has had a rocky start to the season. Will they continue on to be victorious or will they suffer defeat?
Only time will tell, but nonetheless, the stands continue to fill up with family and fellow Wolverines decked out in teal to support their beloved team.
