New terrain but not intimidating for Lakewood volleyball

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The terrain is new for the Lakewood Lancers but not intimidating. The road’s been long, not eternal.

The girls’ volleyball team at Lakewood has launched into the state finals for the first time in school history and will haul it six hours to San Jose State to play Northern California winner Nevada Union for the Division I crown on Saturday.

‘Been a great ride so far,’ said Lakewood Coach Mike Wadley. ‘We’ve exceeded expectations of everybody except ourselves.’

But some might expect the first-time Lancers to freeze up in the haze of the brightest spotlight in the state. Don’t worry -- they won’t. Not with attack-duo Jazmine Orozco and Jessica Thomas and finesse-setters Megan Johnson and Megan Moenoa.

And not with their big-game experience: The Lancers (28-7) have reached the regional semifinals three out of four years.

‘You know why we won’t be intimidated?’ Wadley said. ‘Because we’ve told ourselves that we can win this.’

And I’m telling you -- the Lancers can.

-- Anthony Stitt