ESPNHS Volleyball

Although Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), the CIF Southern Section Division I champion, has a strong argument to be the new No. 1 team in the POWERADE FAB 50, the choice this week instead has gone to unbeaten Wheaton Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.).

Coach Bill Schreier's team improved to 36-0 on Tuesday night with an easy win over St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.) in the regional round of the state playoffs. The Tigers have been No. 1 in Illinois since the start of the season and have not slipped in a single match.

Also helping Wheaton Warrenville South in the rankings is the performance of teams from Illinois in general against other top teams from other states, including a win by No. 11 Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort, Ill.) over No. 14 Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.).

If Mira Costa only had two losses on the season instead of four, or if the Mustangs had been completely healthy all season, then they'd probably not have dropped behind the Tigers earlier.

One of the reasons Mira Costa was seriously considered to jump past Wheaton Warrenville South is that the Mustangs beat previous No. 1 Loyola (Los Angeles) 25-19, 25-22, 25-27, 21-25, 15-12 in last Saturday's CIF Southern Section Division I finals.

It was Mira Costa's first CIFSS title since 2008. Setter Jackson Carr had 58 assists and 10 blocks while outside hitter Chris Orenic had 24 kills and 10 digs.

Click here for the complete Week 10 rankings.

California's sectional playoffs are just about wrapped up, which means it could be one giant hurdle cleared by No. 1 Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.) in its quest to be the mythical national champion.

The Cubs got past No. 6 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) in Tuesday's semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs with a three-set sweep and will meet No. 3 Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) in Saturday's championship.

To hold off unbeaten Wheaton Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.), Loyola needs to win that title and then follow it up with a title in the CIF Southern California regional championships.

State championships in Florida and Arizona are now complete with Missouri on track to complete its championships this weekend.

Click here for the complete Week 9 rankings.

By Cosy Burnett

Cosy Burnett is a junior outside and opposite hitter at La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.) who also plays for Coast Volleyball Club in San Diego, Calif. Her high school team competed in the state finals for Division II last season and she has competed at nationals five times with her club teams. In the latest installment of her blog, her fellow players wish their moms a Happy Mother's Day.

Volleyball moms are the best. They are special women who sacrifice so much. They are working moms who use their precious vacation days to go to tournaments. They are stay-at-home moms with multiple kids balancing it all. They are single moms. They are all supermoms.

Last year during AP testing, finals and preparing for nationals, prom decided to come along. I had a date, but no dress, and was in a state of serious panic to find one. I did not have a single hour to search for that perfect dress. So I did what any girl would do -- I put my head down and cried, thinking, “I guess I could just wear jeans.”

The next day I stumbled into my room at 8 p.m., exhausted and spent. I flipped on my light and was shocked. I looked around my room and jumped up and down. Hanging on anything that would hold a hanger were over a dozen beautiful dresses! Each one was different and had a pair of shoes to go with it. My mom had brought the store to me when I couldn't go myself. Needless to say, I found the perfect dress and didn't have to wear jeans. It wouldn't have happened without my amazing mom.

At a SoCal tournament over the weekend, I asked my teammates and some other volleyball girls to share their thoughts on their volleyball moms. This is what I got:

“My mom cheers for me, makes sure I’m well rested, and I know she loves me when she wakes up before 5 a.m. to go to my tournaments -- so lucky to call her mom.” -- Krissy Witous, Coast 17-1

“As a little girl whenever someone asked me who my role model was, it was never a famous baseball player or scientist, it was always my mom. There is no one in the world I could give more credit to as a caretaker, a role model and my best friend. I love you, Mom.” -- Caterina Rosander, Coast 17-1

“My mom is my best friend. I love her with all my heart. She is always there for me through thick and thin and has always been my No. 1 advocate when it comes to volleyball and life. I don't know what I would do without her. She's the first person I go to when I'm sad and she is my favorite person in the world. I love you, Mom!” -- Sydney Francis, Coast 17-1

“My mom is always there for me no matter what. She cheers for me and makes sure I’m wide awake before I play. She’s my biggest supporter.” -- Marin Longfellow, Coast 17-1

“Having a mom like mine means the world. She is always there when I need her. Waking up early for tournaments isn’t easy, but she is always ready to go. We have a good time together and she picks me up when I’m down. I love her so much." -- Victoria Dennis, Club West 18-1

“My mom has been a great volleyball mom for eight years now. She has sacrificed so much for me and supports me no matter what. She is the first one to comfort me after a good or bad game. I appreciate and love her so much.” -- Lauren Miller, Coast 17-1

“Having a mom like mine is hard to come by. She’s a firefighter’s wife and mother of three athletes. She makes so many sacrifices, like driving me to practice two hours each way 3-4 times per week, on top of working. ... She is a supermom.” -- Morgan Collet, TCA 18-Black

“My mommy has been the best mom ever and I am so fortunate to be given her by God. (I don’t know if she feels the same way.) She is my hero. Being a single mom is an arduous task and she makes it look easy.” -- Erika Conners, Coast 17-1

“My mom has woken up early to take me to tournaments, drove me to practice and even got a job to help pay for all the fees for me and my sister. Even with four kids, she makes it a priority to come to everything she can and support me. I love her and would not be the same without her.” -- Karly Shockey, Club West 18-1

“My mommy is always there to support me through my experiences. It’s amazing to know I have a special person in my life who will always be by my side whether it’s at the volleyball court or hanging out at home. Being a stay-at-home mom, she is with me 24/7. She is the best friend and best mom I could ever ask for.” -- Breanna Barksdale, Coast 17-1

“My mom is always there for me, sacrificing her time and money so I can play. She is my No. 1 fan.” -- Rachel Seals, Club West 18-1

“My mom makes volleyball fun by supporting me and watching me play. She always makes sure I have everything for practice and tournaments. Love you, Mom!” -- Lexi Reddick, Coast 17-1

“I can’t thank my mom enough for the countless hours she has spent in gyms, the long drives and the best salads. She is always there, the loudest fan for the team. She may not know the game well, but she pushes us to win. I don’t know what I would do without her.” -- Missy Pittard, Solana Beach 18-1

“My mom is here always cheering me on. She wakes up early, even on her days off from work, makes me food and comes to every tournament.” -- Jené Lee, Club West 17-1

“My mom makes my volleyball experience fun by always being the loudest person on the sidelines cheering for me and my team. She makes sure I have all my stuff, including food and water. She is the best mom ever and I love her to death.” -- Raena Borcuk, Club West 17-1

“My mom constantly cheers for and supports me. She never complains about getting up early and supplies me with endless amounts of food and drink. Love you, Mom!” -- Claire Manhard, Coast 17-1

We notice all you do, moms. We appreciate and love you!

Read the previous installment of Cosy's blog – how to prepare for junior year – here.

By Kirstin Olsen

MORE FROM LONE STAR CLASSIC: Photo gallery

The 25th annual Lone Star Classic National Qualifier hosted 1,400 of some of the best teams in the nation this past weekend. The majority were Texas teams competing for bragging rights in their state and a bid to the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in June and July.

In the 18 Open division, Skyline 18 RSB Royal took down Austin Juniors 18 Mizuno 25-23, 25-21. The two all-star teams boasted some of the cream of the crop in Texas, including ESPNHS All Americans Amy Neal, Katy Beals and Molly McCage for Austin Juniors and Andie Malloy of Skyline Dallas.

In the 17 Open division, TAV 17 Blue cruised to the gold bracket title with a 25-11, 25-20 win over Kuikahi 17 Wahine. TAV boasts second-team ESPNHS All-American Ebony Nwanebu.

In the 16 Open division, Houston Juniors 26 Elite took down Skyline 16 RSB Black in the gold bracket final, 25-20, 25-27, 15-12. Houston Juniors boasts LSU commit Mylan Eugene.

Inky Ajanaku, 2012, Club One 18 Black

Her Club One team plays in the National division, but this Stanford commit and Bishop Kelley (Tulsa, Okla.) senior stands out. The true middle plays outside hitter for her club team and hits high and hard over the block. It is easy to see why she was the Gatorade State Player of the year in Oklahoma and was named to the ESPNHS All-American first team.

Molly McCage, 2012, Austin Juniors 18 Mizuno

McCage is a woman among girls on the court. The Texas commit and Klein Collins (Spring, Texas) senior has an impressive vertical and is versatile in the middle with her attack in front or behind the setter. She has a great stature and will be an asset for Longhorns coach Jerritt Elliott next year.

Chloe Collins, 2013, Houston Juniors 17 Elite

She's only 5-8, but Collins plays much bigger than that. The lefty Texas commit runs a 6-2 offense setting and hitting for her team. The senior at Cypress Woods (Cypress, Texas) is a great athlete and has an explosive vertical leap.

Tayler Higgins, 2013, Kuikahi 17 Wahine

This 5-8 junior setter and Hawaii commit helped run the show for the Wahine. Higgins is the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Hawaii and a key member of state championship team at Punahou (Honolulu). Her team played great defense and she continued to feed her hitters and spread the ball around to get them optimal opportunities to score.

Haleigh Nelson, 2013, Triangle 17 Black

The 6-4 middle blocker was solid in the front row all weekend and helped her team to a fourth-place finish. The junior at Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) has not committed to a school, but with her height and skill she'll be a great addition to any Division I program.

Ebony Nwanebu, 2013, TAV 17 Black

This 6-foot-4 USC commit is coming into her own after helping her team win the 17 Open division. Her stature and size are a college coach’s dream, and now she is taking advantage of those assets. She would absolutely punish the opposing team's outside hitters with her solid block, and she led her team in points as well. Under the tutelage of TAV coach Ping Cao, Nwanebu, a junior at Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas), will surely improve even more before she goes to USC.

Elizabeth Shurbet, 2013, Alamo 17 Keapa Premier

This fiery little setter is fun to watch. She is a great athlete and hustles for every ball. The Kansas State commit sets consistently and will be an asset to the Wildcats in 2013.

Sarah Sponcil, 2014, Spiral 16 Black

The 5-foot-10 setter is wise beyond her years. She is the best athlete on her team and is an excellent competitor. Her volleyball IQ is high for her age, and she fights for every ball. The Veritas Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) sophomore is getting a lot of looks from college coaches and will be an excellent player at the next level.

Ashlie Reasor, 2014, Alamo 16 Kaepa Premier

This solid lefty opposite is a major contributor for her team’s offense. Her 6-1 frame and whip of an arm has caught college coaches' eyes. The sophomore at Ronald Reagan (San Antonio, Texas) helped lead her Alamo team to a sixth-place finish.

Abby Detering, 2014, Academy Cleveland 16 N Harvey

The 6-1 lefty from Lake Catholic (Mentor, Ohio) is a great asset for her team with great hands and an explosive attack. Only a sophomore, the News Herald Player of the Year has a bright future with interest from Ohio State, Illinois, Alabama, Iowa and FSU.

By Walter Villa

For some, the state championship won Tuesday by Xavier Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) wasn’t just historic, it was profound and far-reaching.

Xavier defeated Fountain Hills (Ariz.) 5-0 at Victory Lanes Sports Park in Glendale, Ariz., capping the first high school season of sand volleyball in U.S. history.

“It was so cool to be a part of this whole season,” said Xavier’s Natalie Braun, who teamed with Mallory Miller to win their title match. “It was life-changing.”

When asked why she would consider her life altered by this first season of sand volleyball, Braun said she had previously wanted to play the indoor version of the sport in college.

Now she wants to play sand volleyball.

“There is such a great atmosphere playing outdoors,” said Braun, a 5-foot-7 freshman. “It’s just way different. With just two players, you have to build an all-around skill set. In indoor, you mostly focus on one. I want to be one of those all-around players.”

Braun said several -- but not all -- of her teammates told her that they, too, have switched their focus to sand volleyball. That includes elite prospect Abby Hornacek, who had originally committed to play indoor at Kansas before switching to a sand volleyball scholarship at Southern Cal.

Hornacek teamed with Mia Teilborg as Xavier Prep went 8-0 this season, sweeping every team except Scottsdale Prep (Ariz.), which they defeated 4-1.

Xavier’s other duos on Tuesday were Kelly Andrew and Sarah Mackey, Alex Parron and Molly Scheel, and Dani Westfall and Chaney Hart.

Those five duos were more than good enough to beat Fountain Hills, which finished its season at 6-2.

“It was 90 degrees and just a great day to play,” Xavier coach Matt Rogers said of the title match. “Fountain Hills wanted redemption because we had beaten them earlier in the season. But we really wanted this first state title, and we went after it.”

Wednesday morning, Hornacek wore her volleyball jersey and spoke to the entire school after her team’s accomplishment.

“I felt comfortable doing it,” said Hornacek, a senior. “I just explained that we represented our school and a new sport. After I spoke, about 50 people came up to me to say congratulations.”

Hornacek said she’s proud of her team.

“Winning the title gave us a great feeling,” she said. “I hope it can be an inspiration to other girls to try the sport. … I think a lot of girls will make the switch once they see how much fun it is to play.

“All I know is that when I’m older, I’m going to look back at the picture of us winning state and be really happy.”

By Walter Villa



Parker Brown’s GPA had sunk to 0.9, his weight had plummeted from 205 pounds to 147 pounds and he was coughing up “black tar and other gross stuff.”

Brown’s stamina was down, he was missing practices and he was neglecting his volleyball friends.

It was Brown’s junior year at Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.), and the marijuana addiction that started when he was 12 years old had grown out of control.

He was getting high a dozen times a day, and he had gotten himself kicked off his Balboa Bay club team after he showed up high for the 2011 Junior Olympics tournament in Minnesota.

“I was smoking all day, every day,” said Brown, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter who is now a senior at Corona del Mar. “My whole world revolved around pot, and I didn’t realize how much damage it was causing.

“Pot is really a scary drug because it’s one of the worst things for your brain.”

Teammate Joe Ctvrtlik, a Stanford recruit, said he knew for a while that Brown was doing “some stuff on the side.” He said he’d see Brown at school on Friday and not hear from him again until Monday.

“It was scary to see,” Ctvrtlik said. “He was smoking atrocious amounts. His attitude was down and gloomy, and he wouldn’t listen to anyone.”

The low point

The incident at the Junior Olympics turned out to be the catalyst for change in Brown’s life.

His parents -- Carol Peck and stepfather Scott Peck as well as father Jeff Brown and stepmother Diana Brown -- had heard enough. They sent their son directly from Minnesota to Capstone Treatment Center in Arkansas.

Brown hadn’t hit rock bottom just yet, though. For two weeks, all he thought about was getting out so he could use again. He cried a lot and didn’t participate in the program.

Finally, he had an epiphany.

“I figured out how [crappy] my life was going,” said Brown, 18, who stayed at the rehab center for 100 days. “I knew I could have been going to a Division I college. But because I had been using, I didn’t have any offers.”

Corona del Mar coach Steve Conti said Brown was his strongest player in the weight room as a sophomore, but that was not the case as a junior.

“His whole body of work as a sophomore was better than it was as a junior,” Conti said. “I never personally caught him [using], but people in the community had started to talk about what was going on with Parker.

“That was not to ‘narc’ on Parker -- there was genuine concern. You could see that he was less engaging. You couldn’t really have a conversation with him. Parker had a comatose look on his face.”

Conti has a favorite saying. “Show me your friends,” he said, “and I will show you your future.”

Turning his life around

Brown’s future, which looked bleak less than a year ago, is now looking better and better.

His best friend, crew athlete Keaton Kay, has moved in with Parker and the Peck family, serving as a positive role model.

In addition, Brown has regained the trust of his biological parents, who are divorced and live next door to each other.

“Even when he was getting high, Parker still had a heart of gold,” Carol Peck said. “But now … it’s amazing what he has done in his life the past year. He’s getting A’s and B-pluses. He does his own laundry, cleans his room. He’s just a different person.”

Brown not only quit marijuana, he also dropped his cigarette problem, which had been extensive, and said he no longer feels the temptation to use any substance.

Now, when he does go to parties, Brown serves as the designated driver because everyone in the community knows he no longer uses.

His most recent report card -- a 3.8 GPA -- was stunning to Brown, who for a long time thought he was incapable of doing well in school.

The problem, he knows now, was the pot. Three years of being a “horrible student,” as he describes it, has left his cumulative GPA at 2.7, which he feels is below par.

Because of his issues, only four colleges have shown an interest in offering Brown a volleyball scholarship: Ohio State, Pepperdine, Southern Cal and California Irvine.

“I can’t explain how grateful I am to those schools for giving me a second chance,” Brown said.

Sticking to it

Clean and sober for nine months, Brown is starting to make a positive impact in the community. Seeing how he has turned his life around, some kids have come to him for advice.

Brown said his teammates are clean but a lot of other athletes he knows are “drinking, smoking pot and doing other things.”

He won’t push his sobriety on others, but Brown said he is there for support if needed.

“I’m stoked when kids ask me for help,” he said.

Brown is now back to his normal weight of 205 pounds, his stamina has returned and his relationships with family and friends have been repaired.

Corona del Mar, which is No. 25 in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings, is benefiting from Brown’s return to prominence. Conti said Brown is an ultra-competitive player who, if anything, has to tone it down at times in the weight room so he doesn’t tire himself out.

On the court, Brown is a versatile athlete who can play setter, libero and outside hitter in college.

“He may be a bit of a tweener size-wise,” Conti said. “He is a little-to-a-lot smaller than some of the college outside hitters who go 6-6 to 6-8, but he doesn’t look across the net and let that affect him. In fact, when sees someone bigger, he gets that look in his eyes because he loves the challenge.

“We’ve also used him some at libero, and he has the mindset you want because he is not afraid to dig the heavy balls that elite guys hit. He just needs to improve his passing for the next level.”

Ctvrtlik said Brown is one of the most determined players on the team.

“He is playing way better now,” he said. “Before, his mind was a little slow. Now, he has that spark in his eyes. He’s proud of himself, and we’re proud of him. I think he can be a really good college player.”

Volleyball aside, Conti said he is excited about Brown’s future.

“I’m most proud that he has not fallen back and has remained on the right path,” Conti said. “Even when he was going through his problem, he was never disrespectful. He was just hurting himself.

“He’s a great kid.”

By Walter Villa



They understand if people are shocked by their decision to leave the court in the middle of a boys’ volleyball match, but they expect their choice to be respected.

The boys’ volleyball team at Spanish River (Boca Raton, Fla.) created a stir last month when they bolted from the championship of the Smoothie King Invitational in Miami so they could get to their senior prom.

Spanish River (12-1) had done well to reach the final of the 16-team tournament that featured six schools in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings.

In the semifinals, Spanish River, now ranked 41^st, beat Archbishop McCarthy (Southwest Ranches, Fla.), a team that had owned them previously. McCarthy beat Spanish River three times last year, including a five-set elimination match in the state quarterfinals.

“That was sweet revenge,” said Lex Weiner, a 6-0 senior setter and a tri-captain for Spanish River.

Sweet revenge quickly turned sour, however, when Weiner and his Sharks teammates lost the first set of the final, 27-25, to Columbus (Miami).

At a practice before the start of the tournament, the Spanish River team -- which includes eight seniors -- had decided that if a time conflict came up, they would go to prom.

“We discussed it and decided as a team,” Weiner said. “Going to prom is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Spanish River coach Karen Adams said she had warned tournament officials about the potential conflict and also informed the Columbus coach, whom she said was very understanding.

As for the decision, she said she left it up to the boys.

“As young men, you have to make decisions and live with the consequences,” she said. “There’s not always going to be someone there to make the decision for them.”

Rivals Wanted To Play, Too

Chris Herrera, one of the stars of the Columbus team, said he doesn’t “judge” the Spanish River kids for their choice. But he did admit to being disappointed.

“We didn’t get to really beat them,” he said. “We wanted to show we could beat a top-ranked team like Spanish River. It was their decision, and we couldn’t do anything about it.

“But our coach (Greg Villareal), makes it real clear that if we want to be on the team, we can’t miss a match except for a family emergency.”

The Spanish River kids, though, felt differently. Maher Khazem, a 6-4 middle blocker and another of the Sharks’ tri-captains, said he and his teammates had made commitments to their dates that they would take them to prom.

The boys had also invested “a lot of money” for the prom tickets, tuxedo rentals and everything else associated with the big event.

“We all wanted to stay and play,” Khazem said. “We felt we could beat (Columbus). We don’t get the chance to play another high-level team like them very often, and it was annoying to lose the first set.”

Weiner said the desire to win was such that even though the decision to leave had been made previously, the players almost had a last-second change of heart.

“We considered it,” he said.

Adams got tournament officials to move the final from 5:15 p.m. to 4:15, but even that was not enough for the team to play the entire match, drive about 90 minutes from Miami to Boca Raton, shower, get dressed and get to the prom with their dates.

Even leaving when they did, Khazem said he was about 15 minutes late to prom and missed a lot of the picture-taking.

Bad Timing

Weiner said Spanish River got to the final of the same tournament the previous year and remembers it finishing by 4 p.m. But this year’s tournament ran longer than the one in 2011, he said.

“Our semifinal finished at 2:30, and we would’ve been willing to play the final right away,” Weiner said. “But they had other (bracket finals) to play first.”

Weiner said he and his teammates “got a lot of grief” about their decision, especially from former Spanish River players. He said he still respects those guys -- the Sharks won state titles in 2006 and 2007 before he made varsity -- but he would have preferred if they hadn’t voiced their criticism.

“I feel they should be supporting us,” Weiner said. “They should respect our decision, even if they disagree.”

The unfortunate part of all this, Adams said, is that the attention brought to the program made it seem as if her players lack a commitment to volleyball.

“I can honestly say you will have a hard time finding a team that is as hard working and dedicated as these guys,” Adams said.

Brad Thele, a 6-3 senior outside hitter and the third of the team’s tri-captains, can vouch for her coach’s opinion.

Thele said all of his team’s starters play volleyball year-round and spend up to 30 hours a week either playing the sport or in the gym training.

“We play high school and club, and we serve as managers for our girls’ team,” Thele said. “We’re around the sport all the time.”

The team is traveling to Chicago for a tournament this weekend and will start the district playoffs the following week.

Most of the Spanish River seniors have been on the varsity since their sophomore years, which is when Adams became their coach. The team has made winning the program’s first state title since 2007 their goal.

Khazem said his team -- which also includes senior hitters Ryan Schwamm and James McKenney, senior libero Julian Astrove and junior right-sider Kiel Bell -- has as much talent as any school in the state.

Weiner is a bit more cautious, saying his Sharks have “a long way to go to get to state.”

Weiner, though, said his teammates all agree on one thing.

“If that had been the state tournament, there would have been no question,” Weiner said. “We would have stayed and played.”

By Walter Villa



It wasn’t much of a net -- more suited for badminton than volleyball.

The court was neither sand nor wood – more like grass and dirt. And there was only one ball, which if spiked too hard would bounce over a seven-foot fence and fall into a creek full of poison oak.

The setup was humble, but it was also the training ground for four dedicated athletes from one talented family.

Starting this fall, the four Racich siblings will be competing for colleges in Southern California -- the three sisters in volleyball and their brother in water polo.

The two youngest in the group are twins Taylor and Tristan, who are 17-year-old seniors at Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.). Taylor, a 6-foot-1 lefty opposite hitter, signed with Pepperdine. Tristan, a 5-10 setter, committed to Azusa Pacific earlier this month.

Caitlin, the oldest sibling at age 20, is a 6-1 junior and plays sand volleyball for Pepperdine.

Chase, 19, is a 6-2 freshman and a water polo standout at UC Santa Barbara, where he was third on the team in goals (28) last season.

“Our family is real close,” said Taylor, who also has a younger brother, Cole, 3. “I got a full ride (scholarship offer) from the University of Tennessee, but I wanted to see Cole grow up and be near home. It’s going to be so fun this fall when we’re all in college.”

It will be fun and hectic for their parents, Linda and Randy Racich. Linda said once the information becomes available from the colleges, she will produce a master schedule of the fall events, with all the games listed in team colors.

Taylor’s Pepperdine matches will be in orange, Chase’s UC Santa Barbara games in blue and Tristan’s Azusa Pacific events in red.

Caitlin’s sand volleyball matches, thankfully, are in the spring and won’t conflict with her siblings’ events.

“I’m really excited that my younger siblings can do the same thing I’ve done and be college student-athletes,” Caitlin said. “I can’t wait to see Taylor play at my school (Pepperdine). I also plan to make it out to Tristan’s matches and Chase’s games. I’ll try to go to as many games as I can.

“Who knows? Maybe Cole will have some T-ball games I can go to this fall.”

Linda said she and her husband will try to ensure that at least one parent is at every home match.

“We were always hoping our kids would stay close for college,” Linda said. “We love going to the games.”

Chase’s games are the easiest to get to -- the UC Santa Barbara campus is only 10 minutes from the Racich home.

Azusa Pacific is the longest drive -- one hour, 40 minutes -- and Pepperdine is 80 minutes away.

The Racich kids are following in the tradition of their maternal great grandfather, Greg Engelhard, who played baseball and basketball at Cal in the 1930s and went on to become that school’s athletic director.

Linda’s brother and sister played college sports and her husband, Randy, was a talented skier, surfer and baseball player. Randy’s father played football at the University of Colorado.

When Linda and Randy’s kids were young, they signed them up for every sport they could imagine. Chase, for example, played soccer, tennis and volleyball before settling on water polo.

But it was the backyard of their home -- the last house on a cul-de-sac -- where the kids really developed their competitiveness. With four kids all within a couple years of each other, it made for equitable two-on-two volleyball matches.

“After we got our homework done,” Chase said, “we usually had an hour before the sun went down to play volleyball.”

This fall, the twins -- Taylor and Tristan -- will split up for the first time.

“I’m going to miss her so much,” Tristan said. “She’s an amazing sister with such a positive outlook. We’ve been best buddies all our lives. We’ll just have to enjoy our moments together.”

While Taylor and Tristan will be splitting up, Taylor and Caitlin will be reuniting.

Next spring, Taylor and Caitlin will team up to compete in sand volleyball for Pepperdine. Taylor will play both indoor and sand.

Caitlin was an indoor starter for Pepperdine as a freshman, but -- after playing sparingly as a sophomore -- has since decided to focus on sand only.

She recently helped Pepperdine make its debut in sand volleyball, a first-year NCAA sport.

“It’s been the coolest experience,” said Caitlin, who played on the USA Beach Volleyball Youth National team in 2008 and 2009 and last year competed in the FIVB Junior World Beach Championships in Nova Scotia, Canada. “I’m blessed to have this opportunity. I still love indoor, but I’ve always had this passion for beach volleyball.”

Caitlin also has a passion for her family -- a feeling shared by her siblings.

“People always say: ‘Why do you guys love each other so much?’ ” Caitlin said. “They never see us get into conflicts.

“I don’t know why. We’re close in age, and we have a close bond. I just think we have a lot of love going.”

By Kirstin Olsen

Big South Girls' Junior National Qualifier photos: Gallery 1 | Gallery 2

There was plenty of star power this past weekend in Atlanta when almost 1,200 teams from all over the nation competed at the Big South Girls' Junior National Qualifier at the Georgia World Congress Center trying to earn bids to the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships in Columbus, Ohio at the end of June.

Top clubs such as Triangle of North Carolina, Front Range Volleyball Club of Colorado and Orlando VB Academy of Florida featured high-level talent on all of their squads.

In the 16 Open final, A5 Mizuno 16-1 beat the young team of Front Range 16 Blue 25-14, 25-14.

In the 17 Open final, OVA 17 Asics topped Mizuno Northern lights 17-1 25-22, 16-25, 15-13.

And Tampa Bay Juniors 18 Black beat Orange County VBC 18 NIKE 25-17, 25-18 with the help of Miss Volleyball USA Jordan Burgess.

Here are 10 standouts with graduation year and club team:

Jordyn Poulter, 2015, Front Range 16 Blue: This dynamic young lady had college coaches lining almost all of her Front Range 16 Blue team’s matches. She has a nice high delivery and can set behind at ease, advanced traits for a freshman. She put up a solid block and has great size. The Eaglecrest (Centennial, Colo.) star will be a treat for any top-10 program.

Jordan Burgess, 2012, Tampa Bay Juniors 18-1: You can’t walk into the gym and not notice Burgess. She is a dynamic weapon in the front row, moving the ball around, crushing angles and lines. She plays defense like a ninja and is equally dangerous with her back-row attack. The Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) senior will be an asset for Stanford and will definitely get playing time her freshman year. Her accolades for ESPNHS Miss Volleyball USA and Gatorade National Player of the Year were very deserving.

Sidney Brown, 2014, Tampa Bay Juniors 18-1: This powerful outside hitter was an impressive balance to Burgess. In her first year of competitive club volleyball, she is definitely getting the attention of college coaches. The Berkeley Prep sophomore hits a very heavy ball and will continue to grow as a player under the coaching of Randy Dagostino.

Rebekah Roe, 2012, HPSTL 18 Navy: This fiery libero was a treat to watch scramble everywhere. She repeatedly dug ESPNHS Miss Volleyball USA Jordan Burgess on a variety of sharp, hard angles with ease. The Marquette (Chesterfield, Mo.) senior moves around the court quickly and does a good job reading hitters' arms frustrating them when she continues to dig their hardest hits.

Madison Bugg, 2012, Triangle 18 Black: Bugg, a senior at Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.), is a smart setter who knows how to use her weapons. The ESPNHS All-American does a great job running her offense and moving the ball around. Stanford will be lucky to have such a talent next year.

Christina Vucich, 2012, Triangle 18 Black: The 6-4 lefty opposite is multi-talented on the right with her setting skills. Triangle 18 Black has a lethal attack utilizing Vucich and Madison Bugg on the right. Vucich, a senior at Green Hope (Cary, N.C.) is quick on her feet and will definitely be a great contribution to Duke as she matures as a college player.

Kylie Randall, 2013, Asics Willowbrook 17-1: The 6-3 outside is solid on the right. The Magnolia (Texas) junior puts up a nice block and can hammer on the angle. She will be an asset for Ohio State in 2013.

Kali Funk, 2013, Top Select 17-1: The 5-11 fiery setter has great hands and location. The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.) junior had several college coaches surrounding her court watching her and her Top Select 17 team battle on Day 2 of the Big South.

Carolyn Bockrath, 2014, Orange County 17-1: The 6-2 middle blocker is solid in the middle. She led her team to the final against Tampa Bay Juniors in the 18 open division. The Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.) sophomore has yet to commit but will be an addition to any Division I team.

Kathryn Hutson, 2014, Alliance 16 Mizuno: The solid 6-3 outside hitter plays big at the net. She is the sister of University of Texas Longhorn 6-6 middle blocker Madelyn Hutson. The Ravenwood (Brentwood, Tenn.) sophomore has a heavy arm and has good size for an opposite.

By Walter Villa


Sophomore Nia Reed, the 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey and a Penn State recruit, missed eight matches last season after breaking her left wrist.

When the 6-foot-2 middle blocker returned -- just in time for the playoffs -- she wore a piece of foam with tape to protect it. But rival coaches were apparently upset that the star from Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.) was back on the court so soon.

“They were angry and confused,” Reed said. “I took it as a compliment. Usually when an opposing coach doesn’t want you to play it’s because you are a threat to them.”

She certainly was a threat, leading IHA to a fifth straight state title and a fourth Tournament of Champions victory, leaving little doubt that the Blue Eagles (32-1) were again the best team in Jersey.

Maria Nolan, IHA’s co-coach, said she had to laugh when rival coaches tried to have the referees keep Reed from competing in the playoffs.

“All of a sudden, these coaches from other teams became experts on Nia’s wrist,” Nolan said. “They were so worried about her left hand. They should have worried instead about her right hand -- that’s the one she spikes with.”

Indeed, Reed’s spikes usually hit the floor. She had a .637 kill percentage in the regular season and improved that to .688 in six playoff matches.

Part of Reed’s success can be explained by genetics.

Her late paternal grandmother, Vivian Brown, was a track star who won two gold medals in the 200 meters and the 400-meter relay at the 1963 Pan American Games and competed in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. She also set a world record in the 400-meter relay in 1961, competing with the legendary Wilma Rudolph along with Willye White and Ernestine Pollards.

“She died when I was 2, so I never really got to know her,” Reed said. “But I’ve seen pictures of her in her track outfit.”

Reed’s mother, JoMoree Reed, was also an impressive athlete. The 6-foot forward made second-team All-Big Eight as a senior at Kansas State, averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds.

Reed’s dad, Raymon Reed, ran track at Morehouse and at Bowling Green.

Able to touch an impressive 10-5, it is obvious Reed inherited much of her family’s athleticism.

“She not only jumps high, she seems to hang in the air,” Nolan said. “And she has long arms and long hands.”

Blessed with those physical as well as mental attributes -- she loves math and has a 3.41 grade-point average -- Reed has been inundated by offers from college volleyball powers.

Reed, though, has only now put an end to any conjecture of where she might go to college.

“I committed to Penn State after my freshman year,” she said. “But I’ve kind of kept it a secret until now.”

Reed plans to join a Nittany Lions’ roster that already includes former IHA star Ariel Scott, a 6-4 middle blocker who recently completed her sophomore season at Penn State.

Scott was twice named New Jersey’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

Nolan, who has won 21 state titles and 733 matches in her coaching career, struggled to say whether Reed or Scott was the better player at the same stage of development. But she didn’t hide her enthusiasm for Reed’s future.

“Nia is on target,” Nolan said, “to be the best player in New Jersey history.”

Personality-wise, Nolan said, the difference is much more apparent between Reed and Scott.

“Nia is always smiling,” Nolan said. “That’s something you notice about her right away.”

About the only thing that has been able to keep Reed from smiling was the wrist injury, suffered during a collision with her setter.

“I don’t know what exactly happened because I kind of blanked out,” said Reed, who is back at 100 percent and playing for her DIGS 17 Red club team. “I thought it was just a sprain, so I kept playing the whole tournament.

“But it still hurt the next day, so I got it checked out. When I found out it was broken and I would have to sit out, I cried all day and all night.”

Mike DeCastro, the IHA co-coach along with Nolan, is impressed with Reed on many levels.

“The most striking thing about Nia is her natural athleticism,” he said. “The way she moves -- she’s light on her feet. She also has that nice vertical leap and a great reach.

“But that’s just the exterior part of Nia. She has so much poise and character. When those coaches were yelling, trying to keep her from playing in the state playoffs, she was right there and handled herself so well.”

Asked how good Reed can get before her prep career ends in two years, DeCastro laughed.

“Who knows? (Nolan) and I can’t believe what she can do already,” he said. “We’ll watch her in practice and shake our heads.

“She’s already a pretty good hitter. There’s lots of room to grow to develop on the back row and become an all-around player. That’s our hope. It’s going to be exciting for her, for our team and for volleyball fans in New Jersey.”

It should be exciting for everyone -- except, perhaps, for rival coaches.

By Kirstin Olsen

SCVA JUNIOR NATIONAL QUALIFIER PHOTOS: Gallery 1 | Gallery 2

The Southern California Volleyball Association's Junior National Qualifier was loaded with West Coast talent from up and down the Pacific Coastline. Here are 10 players who excelled this past weekend:

Joslyn Hayes, Sunshine Westside 18-1: This 6-foot-5 middle can shut down the net with her blocking and move the ball around in the middle. She is an uncommitted junior, and coaches are lining up to sign her after she made the switch to play for Sunshine 18-1s this year hoping to get more exposure.

Kiara Wright, AVA TX 18 Team Rox: This 6-1 outside hitter is the go-to on her AVA Texas team. She crushes on the outside and can terminate on the right as well. The USC commit is a fireplug for her team.

Alexa Strange, Coast 18-1 Ozhan: The 5-11 setter, who is headed to Nebraska, is an athletic lefty who can hammer on the right and set the rock from anywhere on the court.

Hayley Hodson, Tstreet 17-Troy: This 6-2 outside is one of the best in her freshman class. She hits a variety of angles on the outside and has already shown some impressive court vision in her first year in high school.

Elise Ruddins, Laguna Beach 18 MS: This 6-4 outside hitter can continuously bring the heat on the left. The USC commit helped lead her Laguna Beach 18 MS team to a fifth-place finish this past weekend.

Brittany Abercrombie, Coast 16-1 JJ: This 6-3 lefty opposite was a finalist for ESPNHS sophomore of the year. She has a wicked snap and can terminate a variety of angles on the left that are hard to defend. She has already gotten a lot of college interest but isn’t jumping the gun and committing anywhere soon.

Emma Fuzie, Vision Gold 16-1: This 6-1 middle blocker helped her Vision 16-1 team to a third-place finish in the 16s open division. Fuzie was aggressive at the net and shellacked some overpasses to pump up her team and make the opposing team pay.

Sherridan Atkinson, TCA HB 16-Black: This 6-7 middle blocker will be a force to be reckoned with. She moves well and will be a great asset to any Division I program. She should grow into her frame nicely under the coaching system of Neil Mason.

Sarah Hughes, Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar: The 5-11 setter/right side is a spark plug for her Rockstar team. She sets and passes and hits on the right and is an unbelievably well-rounded player. Hughes is a fun player to watch and she plans to play sand volleyball at USC next year.

Alexandra Espinosa, City Beach Black 16-1: The 5-11 sophomore outside hitter was everywhere on the court and helped lead her team to a second-place finish in the 16s division over a very talented Coast 16-1 team.

By Walter Villa

READ MORE: Arizona players having a blast in the sand

Arizona made history late last month when it became the first state to sanction high school sand volleyball.

But Arizona has company in the sand volleyball movement.

In the Los Angeles area, an eight-team Girls’ Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League is set to start this spring. There will be three doubles teams competing per match, and the season will conclude in May.

Jon Aharoni, the coordinator of USA Beach Volleyball youth development, said he has been working closely with the California schools.

“I couldn’t be prouder to be involved,” he said. “It’s a big, fat step in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, on the college front, there are about 20 schools competing in the NCAA’s inaugural season of sand volleyball.

Consider:

-- Florida State earned the first victory in NCAA sand volleyball history, sweeping host Alabama-Birmingham 5-0 on March -- The Seminoles have a 15-player roster and may be among the favorites to compete in the national championships April 27-29 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

-- The Southern Cal Trojans, who reached the Final Four indoors, made their sand debut on March 10. The Trojans are using indoor All-Americans Kendall Bateman and Natalie Hagglund on the sand as part of their 13-player roster.

-- Long Beach State, the alma mater of Olympic star Misty May-Treanor, will be led by Tara Roenicke, who represented Team USA at the World Beach Junior Championships in December. She finished fifth with partner Rebecca Strehlow.

-- Pepperdine has a 16-player roster, including one of the emerging stars of the sport, Summer Ross.

By Walter Villa

READ MORE: Sand game gains momentum

Officials from the Arizona Interscholastic Association gathered the young athletes and made a brief speech.

“They told us we were making history,” Scottsdale Prep sophomore Leslie Smith said. “They told us to have fun and to always remember we were the first players in the country to play sand volleyball.”

The historic event -- the first official high school sand volleyball games -- happened Feb. 28 at Victory Lanes Sports Park in Glendale, Ariz. Originally,15 schools had shown interest in competing in Arizona this season, but budget and travel issues reduced the field to five.

“It’s a little sad for the other schools,” Smith said, “because they are missing out on something fun.”

Eric Hodgson, the outreach director for the Arizona Region of USA Volleyball, said he is not disappointed with the smaller-than-expected turnout of teams.

“We’re grateful,” he said. “We’re happy to have five schools that have shown a vision for what the sport can lead to in terms of scholarships and opportunities for female athletes.”

Hodgson’s organization donated beach volleyballs and helped train referees who did not have experience with the sand version of the sport. The Arizona Region also sponsored a clinic -- open to players and coaches -- with pro beach volleyball standout Jenn Snyder.

Also helping the cause was Victory Lanes owner Mike Krueger, who donated court time at his facility in north Phoenix.

As for the particulars: Each match has AIA officials acting as scorekeepers, and each school is permitted 12 players, which includes two alternates. Five doubles teams compete against each other, and the season will culminate with an April 14 state championship.

Scottsdale Prep (Scottsdale, Ariz.) coach Nathan McClallen said this year’s schedule was revised several times because clubs kept dropping out.

“But everyone I’ve talked to is focused on adding the sport for next year,” he said. “It seems like it will be much bigger next year. I’m glad we got in on the ground floor. We are going to be in a position where we can beat bigger schools next year because we know how.”

This year’s historic first matches were 5-0 victories for Scottsdale Prep over Westwind (Phoenix) and Fountain Hills (Ariz.) over Valley Vista (Surprise, Ariz.). Xavier (Phoenix), the fifth team competing this season, had a bye on opening day.

McClallen said his team gets credit for the first victory in Arizona history.

“The two matches were going on at the same, and ours finished first,” he said. “I’m really glad our girls got this opportunity.”

McClallen said Westwind only had three duos and had to forfeit the other two matches.

Valley Vista coach Tonya Lee said she has just nine players, which means she has to forfeit one match each time out. She had 42 players in her JV and varsity indoor programs, but many of those girls are now playing softball or running track.

But the girls who did come out were thrilled, Lee said.

“The girls were giddy,” she said. “Everyone knew we were part of history.

“We’re more of a lower-income school. Many of my girls can’t afford to play club volleyball. Sand volleyball gives them another opportunity to earn a college scholarship.”

Lee said she thinks the sport will grow to 18 to 24 teams in Arizona next year.

McClallen, who has a full team at Scottsdale, said adding sand volleyball came at the expense of fielding a softball program this season.

“We chose volleyball, partly because our athletic director (Brent Demmitt) is a former beach volleyball player,” McClallen said. “But the girls seem to love it, too.”

Scottsdale’s top duo consists of sophomores Sydney Bell and Smith. But it was the No. 2 team of senior Ellen Munsil and freshman Morgan Nelson that scored Scottsdale’s only win in a 4-1 Week 2 loss to Xavier. The duo overcame match point to win 12-21, 23-21, 16-14.

“That was a massive upset,” McClallen said. “Xavier is using players from its indoor team, which ranked 35^th in the nation (in the final POWERADE FAB 50 poll). But that just proves that you can have an incredible indoor team, and it’s completely different on sand.

“To me, sand volleyball is about being athletic and improvising. It’s not quite as technical as indoor. It will give a small school like us a chance.”

No matter who wins, Scottsdale players such as Bell and Stephanie Prince said sand volleyball is just a lot of fun.

Like all the Scottsdale players, neither had any experience playing on sand, but they still enjoyed the game.

“It doesn’t hurt as much to dive for a ball -- that’s a plus,” Bell said. “It’s a little harder to get up, and it’s harder to run on the sand. You need strong legs and quickness.

“It’s an intense sport. You have more responsibility because there are only two players and a lot of court to cover.”

Bell added that her bond with Smith, her usual partner, has grown because of the sport. She also enjoys the self-reliance the sport forces on players -- coaches are only allowed to talk to their players during the one-per-match timeouts.

Prince, whose younger sister has played softball, said sand volleyball is the much better choice for a spring sport.

“One of the things my sister doesn’t like about softball is that she feels she is always in the dugout,” Prince said. “In sand volleyball, you are much more involved and get to touch the ball on every play.

“I know some girls at other schools are jealous that we have a (sand volleyball) team and they don’t. But now that we’ve made history, I think a lot more teams will play next year.”

By Walter Villa



Lydia Dimke -- and other players like her -- may be the future of girls’ volleyball.

Traditionally, tall girls such as the 6-foot-2 Dimke would be made into middle blockers as early as middle school.

But Dimke, a sophomore at Blaine (Minn.), has a different dream.

“I want to be a setter in college,” Dimke said.

And the dream is very realistic because of the evolution of the sport. Tall players with good hands are now being trained as setters from an early age. What they may lack in quickness compared to a smaller player, they make up for in longer strides and the ability to cover more territory.

At the moment, Dimke is a part-time setter. She spends three front-row rotations as a hitter and three back-row rotations setting.

“I enjoy doing both -- it’s a great opportunity,” Dimke said. “I wouldn’t mind doing both in college. But if I had my preference, I’d like to be a setter.”

Walt Weaver, who coached Dimke to a national title with the Northern Lights 15s club team last season, said major colleges are lining up to earn her commitment.

Dimke, who wants to study medicine, said it’s too early for her to settle on a college. For now, her focus is on repeating as a national champion, this time with the Northern Lights 16s team.

A growing trend

Of the four full-time setters who made first-, second- and third-team All-America last season in NCAA Division I, none is taller than 6-0.

The list includes 5-11 Kendall Bateman of Southern Cal and 6-0 Alison Landwehr of Iowa State on the first team, 5-8 Bre Payton of Northern Iowa (second team) and 5-9 Brianne Barker of Oklahoma (third team). There is also 6-2 Kelly Murphy of Florida, who made the first team as a setter/hitter.

Compare those heights to the setters and setters/hitters who made the 2011 ESPNHS All-America first team, and you can see that size is trending up. The ESPNHS team featured 6-2 Andie Malloy of Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas), 6-2 Megan Courtney of Archbishop Alter (Kettering, Ohio), 6-1 Katy Beals of Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 6-1 Madison Bugg of Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) and 5-10 Katie George of Assumption (Louisville, Ky.).

If you are counting, the top five college setters or setters/hitters are a combined 10 inches shorter than their five prep counterparts.

Logan Barber, who coached Bugg in high school, is convinced his former star will be a setter at Stanford. It’s the position where she can reach her full potential, Barber said.

Barber also said he thought the trend of taller setters began a few years ago.

“It started in college and has trickled down to high school and club,” he said. “Teams want to have more consistency on offense by using just one setter instead of having to change setters when she rotates to the front row.

“If you have a taller setter, she can stay in and be an effective blocker on the front row.”

Barber said 6-0 is the “benchmark” top college programs are looking for in terms of height for a setter.

“But if you are 5-10 or 5-11 and can jump, they won’t have a problem,” he said. “Colleges have to be wary about taking a tall player and trying to convert her to a setter. That’s hard to make happen late in the game.

“The primary thing is that she’s a good setter. If she’s an accomplished setter and happens to be taller, that gives her a bonus. Her phone will be ringing quickly (from college recruiters) in that case.”

The ideal setter

Cookie Stevens, an assistant coach who helped the Southern Cal Trojans make the 2011 Final Four; said the ideal setter is 6-0 or taller and left-handed. She also has to be quick, especially if you don’t have a precise passing team and she has to chase passes frequently.

“The advantage of having a tall setter and preferably left-handed is that they can hit the second ball over, and the blockers have to see if she is going to hit or if she is going to set,” Stevens said. “The blockers have to decide if they go up with her or with the hitter.”

Ryan Mitchell, who coached Malloy at Lovejoy, said coaches are getting smarter in how they are selecting players.

“It used to be that your smaller, athletic kid was your setter,” he said. “But now we’re taking big kids with athletic ability and training them to set.

“It’s just the evolution of the game when outside hitters in college are touching 10-4 or 10-6. If you have a 5-9 setter, you are going to lose that battle. So you have two options: Run a 6-2 with a setter in the back or get bigger setters.”

By Cosy Burnett

Cosy Burnett is a junior outside and opposite hitter at La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.) who also plays for Coast Volleyball Club in San Diego, Calif. Her high school team competed in the state finals for Division II last season and she has competed at nationals five times with her club teams. In the latest installment of her blog, she shared her tips on how to stage a comeback.

I want to write this week’s blog on how to be a “comeback team” when you find yourselves in a hole. At a recent tournament, we were playing the No. 1 seed and the first set was a battle. We won 26-24. In set No. 2, we were behind 11-22. Wow, so what’s the plan now? It’s tempting just to think “OK, let’s get the pain over ... we just need a new game.”

Never!

We ended up pulling off a 25-23 victory, and as I thought about how we did it, the following came to mind:

1. Be positive on the court
A positive attitude is a powerful thing. When you are positive, it not only makes playing the game more fun, but it also encourages play at the highest level. So especially when you are behind, it is vital to stay positive. When you tell your libero to “shake it off” when she missed that crucial pass or your hitter that she made a good swing even though it sailed out of bounds, you are sending a vibe to your team that says, “I know you’ll get the next one.” It’s when teams start to doubt themselves, blame each other and roll their eyes that their teammates begin to lose confidence and make silly errors that come from nerves and anxiety.

2. Change it up
Our setter changed up the momentum with two immediate dumps, which threw the other side off. It’s the time to throw in a daring play to make that amazing kill, huge block or a bullet ace. The momentum shifts, and then it’s “rally time.” More often than not, teams begin to relax and lose their focus when they have a huge lead, and it’s the perfect time to step up your game, take a risk, attack with full force and get a run of points.

3. Keep your head
My teammate was able to make 11 bombing serves in a row. In order to make a comeback, you need to make your serves. Just relax, smile, focus and enjoy. This is why you have spent all those hours in the gym. You can do it.

4. Play to win
No matter the score, don’t play “not to lose.” Keep hitting those balls as hard as you can and go for the kill every time. Don’t be timid. I would rather have my teammate bomb a daring line shot than have her hit scared in order to not make a mistake. You won't be earning your team any points by giving free balls. “Going for it” is respecting yourself. You are telling yourself and everyone else in the gym that you won't give up without a fight.

Read the previous installment of Cosy's blog – how to eat like a champion – here.