It has been a tough year for the Colton volleyball team.
As they entered their Skyline league season last Tuesday against Jurupa Hills, they were 1-6 overall. The loss to the Spartans dropped their record to 1-7, and 0-1 in Skyline. Things got tougher when they lost the rivalry game to Grand Terrace on Thursday, getting swept in straight sets 3-0.
The varsity volleyball team has changed up a bit this season from the last two years. They have a new coach and several new players. And while the record isn’t showing it, there are some positives that point to the possibility of success in league play.
Point 1: New Coach, Fresh Observations
The biggest change this season for the varsity volleyball team was the addition of new coach, Blanca Ascencio.
The season isn’t how they hoped for it to be, she says, “They all know how to play so they kind of have issues with distributing power amongst each other.”
As a new coach, she knows her team now and recognizes their issues, struggles and talent. With that in mind, she hopes to catch a couple more wins by the end of the season.
Varsity player Anna Bailey says, “It’s only her first year of coaching, but for her first year, she’s doing a pretty good job.”
With the new change, we hope to find the team built together by the end.
Point 2: Finding Chemistry
One of the team’s biggest challenges all season has been communication. Often during games, there are stretches where they are not working as a single unit, but a group of individuals playing “hero ball.” This has cost them a lot of points due to errors and being out of position. It has also stirred up tensions between teammates, as the losses keep mounting.
Anna Bailey also says, “We have to fix up our mistakes and we can’t keep ganging up on each other, to keep calm and civilized with each other.”
The players see they need communication, to find chemistry with one another, and to have each other’s back through wins and loses.
These techniques will guide them towards improvement.
Point 3: Staying Positive
What improvement has the team made so far these past nine games?
All together, the team says they have improved on working together as a team, boosting each other’s energy to play well, and lifting each other up.
Varsity player Leila Navarro says, “Recently we have been reacting good, because we know we played better than the last.”
This is true. While the final scores don’t necessarily show it, the Yellowjackets have been putting together stretches that point towards future wins. During their Aug. 29 match against the then 7-1 Fontana Steelers (Fontana now stands at 13-4 and 4-0 in San Andreas League), Colton fought to take the first set from them since GT had in Fontana’s season opening tournament game.
Since then, Colton has shown resilience. After Jurupa Hills took the first two sets 25-11, 25-10 on Sep. 12, Colton fought back and won the third set 25-22. And while they lost the fourth set, it was a fight to the finish, with Colton losing 25-20.
If these players continue to have the courage and positivity, they have a chance to win some games.
