Varsity girls volleyball huddles at the OPHS home game against Hoover/Glendale on Aug 14. (Photo by Max Steinberg/The Eagle)
The girls volleyball team began the season with more than a dozen new members, a new varsity head coach, Josh Giron, and a new frosh head coach, Brieget Kasting. The coaches have high expectations for the team, not only as athletes, but also how the players grow as people.
Last season, the girls dealt with high levels of stress and a series of injuries which impacted their performance. This year, the three head coaches are looking to change that.
“Josh’s mentality for varsity is to win and do well, and really be a unit. He wants them to have structure,” Kasting said.
Kasting was promoted to head coach this season, working as assistant coach during last year’s beach volleyball season. With the large number of incoming freshmen, Kasting is focused on bringing the team closer, and encouraging the girls to feel comfortable while enjoying their practices. In order to support this, the coaches introduced new strategies and provided information on important topics outside of volleyball that affect athletes’ performances.
“I would say the biggest thing to help them with our competition is playing our hardest and believing in each other,” Kasting said. “We do a lot of planning to make that a possibility. We have a lot of coaching on taking care of yourself, sleeping, diet [all] those kinds of things. One big thing we implemented in the program is that the team gets a weekly yoga session, where they just get to zone out and calm-down.”
The team had rigorous summer conditioning for two weeks in July prior to tryouts.
“[Summer conditioning] was a lot of running, endurance, a lot of just getting them ready for being in the gym, and it being hot and things like that. There was a lot of strength training too,” Kasting said.
Because of their dedication over the summer, the athletes are seeing results.
“Summer conditioning definitely helped the team spirit and got us ready for the season,” freshman Lola Heinul said.
Junior Kate Oberst notes the importance of building friendships on the team. The strong bond between her and her teammates fosters a sense of unity that allows them to excel.
“Being able to meet new people and talk to others has probably been my favorite experience,” junior Kate Oberst said.
All this prepares the athletes for an action-packed upcoming season, full of competitions and opportunities to win. Already, OPHS beat Louisville 3-1, Dos Pueblos 3-0 and Hoover/Glendale 3-0. The coaches have now set their eyes on the Thousand Oaks High School game, also hoping to play well in League and reconnect with their alumni on Sept. 5 for the alumni game.
“Its definitely going to be a big comeback year,” JV head coach Solana Moye said. “I feel like the last time our varsity team was at the level where it’s at now, was when I was a sophomore here.”
