Girls’ Volleyball Preview: Team effort needed at Flintridge Sacred Heart
It may be a topsy-turvy girls’ volleyball season for the city of La Cañada’s three programs as the 2017 campaign gets underway.
While normal stalwart Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy is in flux, La Cañada High and Flintridge Prep appear on the rise.
Since Ernest Banaag took over the head coaching job at Flintridge Sacred Heart in 2012, the Tologs have been competitive and playoff-bound.
While Banaag expects the former, the latter will be a challenge in the formidable Mission League a year after Flintridge Sacred Heart posted a 24-10 record and 5-3 mark in league to take second and advance to the postseason.
Banaag graduated four seniors, including a perhaps once-in-a-generation talent in outside hitter Kayla Lund, the reigning two-time All-Area Girls’ Volleyball Player of the Year. The offensive powerhouse, who’s taking her killer attitude to the University of Pittsburgh, tallied 555 kills, 348 digs, 251 assists, 81 aces and 38 blocks last season.
“The realistic expectation is just continuing the high standards and high quality of volleyball at Sacred Heart,” Banaag said. “We can’t individually replace Kayla - that’s just not possible. However, as a team, the entire program is trying to replace her. If we’re going to be competitive, which is our goal, this is going to have to be a team effort.”
One of the main go-tos this season was supposed to be outside hitter Ellis DeJardin. The senior was an All-Area first-team choice and tallied 463 kills, 392 assists, 213 digs and 40 aces in 2016.
DeJardin’s start date is up in the air after the Yale-committed player fractured her ankle during the summer. Banaag is hopeful his No. 1 attacker will be back in late September.
The injury and other factors have led to a shuffle in the line-up as defensive specialists Emily Smith (senior) and Megan Lund (junior) have been moved to the front row.
Banaag’s defense is still expected to be strong with senior Maddie Pernecky and University of Holy Cross-bound Courtney Rasic returning.
The maturation of Flintridge Sacred Heart’s offense will revolve around the passing of senior Cate Doud, who will handle setter duties.
There’s buzz at La Cañada as a team that was young the last couple of seasons is suddenly the most veteran in the city.
The Spartans’ roster of 16 players consists of 11 returners from last year’s squad that finished 11-16 and 5-5 in the Rio Hondo League to take third place. La Cañada advanced to the playoffs and lost in the first round.
“The expectations and goals every year have been to improve,” La Cañada third-year coach Chris Sullivan said. “This year, I feel like we have a very good chance to compete for a league title and make a run in CIF. We return a lot of players with experience and talent.”
Both of the Spartans All-Area selections are back in sophomore outside hitter Emily Weirick and senior setter Hailey Belcher.
Weirick earned league honorable mention honors after tallying 253 kills, 301 digs and 49 aces. Belcher was also a league honorable mention after posting 621 assists and 180 digs.
Besides Belcher, the Spartans are not short on leadership as they welcome back senior outside hitter Chloe Kerstein, a three-year starter, and senior libero Elizabeth Gannon.
Youth will be en vogue this fall at Flintridge Prep as veteran coach Sean Beattie’s team of 14 players consists of only three seniors.
Last season, Flintridge Prep finished 10-15-1 and 4-8 within the fierce Prep League to take fifth place and miss the postseason. While the record isn’t great, the Rebels showed plenty of progress in winning seven more matches than the previous season while posting the most victories for the program since 2009.
“We have a really good young core of players this year,” Beattie said. “We know that the Prep League is always going to be tough with Mayfield and Westridge and Chadwick, but we’ve set our goals on gaining experience, improving and doing better than last year.”
Beattie returns five starters in his 6-2 scheme: both outside hitters, a middle blocker, opposite and setter.
The Rebels’ one-two offensive punch of junior opposite hitter Courtney Johnson (team-leading 195 kills, 156 digs and 37 aces) and sophomore outside hitter Jada Gritton (191 kills, 155 digs and 35 aces) is back.
Beattie is also excited about the progress of sophomore outside hitter Ellen Chang. Last season, Chang tallied 138 kills, 190 digs and 36 aces.
“We started two freshmen outside last year and defensively she might be the best player I think I’ve ever had,” Beattie said. “She’s only going to be a 10th-grader, too. The way she’s able to control the ball and read the play, she does a lot of things that make the rest of the team look better.”
In the middle of Flintridge Prep’s attack is senior setter Jade Whaley, a third-year varsity player. Whaley totaled 468 digs, 91 digs and 26 aces last season.
Twitter: @campadresports
