Girls' Volleyball Starts Season Tomorrow

The 2010 edition of the Girls' Volleyball Team begins tomorrow with a match against Orcutt.  Senior Casey Crawford filed the following preview of the Earwigs chances this season:

Girls’ Volleyball Team Adds New Talent to Experience

By Casey Crawford

After a somewhat disappointing season in 2009, the girls’ volleyball team may have just what they need this year: experience. As the team looks to improve from last season, it is important to note that it has been under different leadership for the past four years. With incoming freshmen Andie de Werd and Emma Anderson, the team is looking to young talent to add to an already tested team. Returning starters Katie Shea, Maddie Carroll, Sophia McGee, and Jayne Pugh have had another year to mature and hope to make a bigger impact on the girls’ upcoming season.

Shea, the team’s captain and only senior, has high expectations for the new talent. “I think we’re better this year… We have Emma, who will be really beneficial to the team as a setter and Andie, who can pick up nearly anything that’s driven at her.”

Head Coach Nuala Judycki also has hopes for the incoming freshman; however, she recognizes that there is still some room to grow. “It’s going to be hard for Emma to become a setter unless she starts to take on more of a leadership role, and I think with time, she can only get better as she becomes more comfortable with her ability” Judycki said before practice.

Since the departure of Sam Maas (’09), the role of setter has become problematic for the team. However, this year, the team looks to sophomore Sophia McGee provide a much-needed lift. The Earwigs plan to run two setters, with McGee and Anderson splitting the role. Katie Shea, the only player to live through the aforementioned change of coaching, expressed confidence in Judycki, the former boys’ coach. “I think she knows what she is talking about, and she’s definitely leading a young team in the right direction.” Judycki, returning to girls’ volleyball for the first time since 2000 is looking forward to coaching girls and is excited to see them perform. Looking to achieve success similar to that of the 2008 team which featured Kasey Rose(’09), Amber Mirabello(’11), and Sam Maas(’09), Judycki is very confident in this year’s team. “I think [the team] is amazing… I’m hoping we go far.”