In 2015, M-A’s girls varsity volleyball players had a whirlwind season, going on a major winning streak that led them to Pacific Athletic League (PAL), Central Coast Section (CCS), and Northern California (NorCal) championship titles. They played in the first state championship game in M-A volleyball history.
This season the team hopes to rival last year’s success by coming out strong, beginning with the first home match on Tuesday, August 30, versus Menlo at 6 p.m. Despite losing six strong seniors last year— including standout right-side hitter Leanna Collins and middle blocker Courtney Foliaki— Coaches Fletcher and Lauryn Anderson see plenty of potential in the new players on the team.
“Marit [Hoyem] is competing for a middle blocker spot and has a lot of raw talent. Alicia [Letvin] is also competing for a middle spot, is really athletic, and has a lot of potential. Nicole [Kang] and Erica [Fischer] are both competing for outside spots and are doing really well so far,” says F. Anderson.
When asked how she felt about joining such a high-profile M-A team, sophomore Erica Fischer commented, “I’m super excited to be on the team this year and so far practice has been great, especially getting to play with girls who are so, so good. It’s intimidating sometimes but they’re really nice and they include me and the other new players.”
Competition this year will be stiff; F. Anderson said, “Carlmont is always our nemesis in league. The next two weeks are also huge for us in preseason. [We have] big matches versus Menlo, SI (St. Ignatius), Mater Dei, Presentation, and Valley Christian. We expect seniors Kirby [Knapp], Eliza [Grover], and Jacqueline [DiSanto] to be our big playmakers this year.”
Be sure to support our varsity Bears starting next Tuesday in Ayers gym as they kick off what is sure to be a fantastic season!
