With senior captain and outside hitter Natasha Rybakova leading it to success, the girls’ volleyball team finished 8-0 in the Coastal Canyon League and is on its way to CIF playoffs.

Rybakova was a key player, according to volleyball head coach Adam Quinn, and she contributed to the team’s unmatched record. Quinn was especially admiring of Rybakova’s strong character and playing abilities.

“Natasha brings in a great work ethic,” Quinn said. “She’s always wanting to work hard and she never complains about anything.”

The team’s unsurpassed league record increased their ranking to No. 23 in the state.

“I love all my teammates,” Rybakova wrote in an email, “and [I] am prideful for how far we’ve come in League.”

According to Quinn, it is very clear, due to her performance on the court, that Rybakova commits many outside hours towards practicing.

“Natasha’s growth as a volleyball player has been pretty unbelievable. She’s a completely different player now,” Quinn said.

Quinn said that Rybakova has not only grown as a team player, but has also literally grown more than 6 inches in the last four years. More seriously, he said that her leadership qualities have also led to her development as a player.

“A big part of Natasha becoming one of the captains was her leadership skills on the court. Many of the girls on the team look up to her because of that,” Quinn said.

Although this is Rybakova’s last year playing volleyball at Oak Park, she hopes to continue to pursue the sport in college.

“We’re all going to miss Natasha next year,” Quinn said. “She’s definitely on paper our best player, so it’s going to be a big loss on the court.”