The Dos Pueblos High girls volleyball broke the ice on the 2010-11 prep athletic season by playing in the Kauai Challenge last weekend in Hawaii.
The Chargers, the defending CIF-SS Division 1 champions, marched through the tournament and reached the final of the Po’okela Division, where they lost to Redlands East Valley, 25-22, 32-30.
East Valley has won three straight CIF-SS Division 2 titles and lost to powerhouse Archbishop Mitty in the State Division 2 finals the last two years.
“They have one of the top, if not the top, 2011 recruits on their team (6-2 opposite hitter Krista Vansant),” DP coach Todd Garrett said of East Valley. “She is going to Washington.”
Dos Pueblos lost five starters and two key reserves (six to Division 1 universities) off last year’s team that beat Huntington Beach in the Southern Section final and fell to Newport Harbor in the state semifinals.
In Kauai, the new Chargers went 6-0 in pool play and beat Maryknoll High of Honolulu in the semifinals.
“The girls played great for our first tournament,” Garrett. “ I think we were a bit nervous and tight in the beginning and it showed in our passing.”
He praised the left-side hitting of Amanda Moriarty and Nicki Brown and the passing and defense of libero Jordan Roberts.
Katie Spieler and Sierra Hofstatter added several digs and tough serves, and Bianca Castro and Lina Kleinschmidt did a great job out of the middle touching a lot of Vansant’s attacks, Garrett added.
“East Valley had a tough time stopping Taylor Racich, and her sister Tristan Racich did a great job running the offense,” the coach said. “Kendall Vincent and Sarah McKinny contributed kills throughout the weekend as well. Maddie Leiphardt did an amazing job setting her first varsity matches of her volleyball career.”
The Chargers had only three practices before the tournament.
“The girls really impressed me with their team play and chemistry,” Garrett said. “We fought hard and came up just short. This is a super fun and talented group of girls. I am looking forward to a great season.”
