Jim Alzina, who guided Laguna Blanca’s girls volleyball team to a pair of CIF finals and two semifinals in his seven years at the helm, has stepped down as coach, Athletic Director Mike Biermann said Friday.
“The reasoning is to spend more time with my family and my regular work schedule,” Alzina said. “The practice and game times were conflicting with too much with my schedule.”
Alzina coached the girls varsity team from 2008 to 2014. He was at the school three years prior as coach of the JV and middle school teams. Under Alzina, the Owls went undefeated in the Condor League every year except one — they shared the title with Cate in 2013.
Alzina said he enjoyed all his years at Laguna Blanca.
“There was a tremendous amount of support from the administration, faculty and staff,” he said. “I met some amazing kids and families while coaching there and some have turned into long time friends.
“The thing I’m most proud of over the years is the kids learned much more than just volleyball,” he added. “They learned life lessons. They learned the value of team work, and the importance of communication. We had three themes that served us well over the years. We told the girls: Believe in yourself, trust your teammates and, most of all, have fun.”
Biermann said he’ll be interviewing applicants for the position and name a new coach before spring.
