Season Preview: Spikers set sights on more WSC hardware

SBCC has enjoyed a great run in the North Division of the Western State Conference in the last five years, winning four women's volleyball titles and over 90 percent of its matches (49-5).

The Vaqueros went 19-8 last season and were ranked as high as No. 4 in the state. They came within one win of reaching the State Final 4 before top-seeded Irvine Valley ended their 12-match win streak with a 3-1 victory in the third round of the playoffs.

Six players return from that squad, led by libero Eryn Young, setter Madelon Leiphardt (Dos Pueblos High) and middle blocker Taylor Badois. Young was the WSC North Player of the Year after ranking 2nd in the conference in digs (370) and 10th in aces (41).

"Those three will form a good core and then we add in our defensive specialists Alexandra Tuleja and Jane Petricka, along with our strong middle Kristy Kearney," said coach Ed Gover. Kearney will miss the first few weeks with an injury.

Gover is the dean of SBCC coaches, entering his 24th season. He's 18 wins shy of 300 with a 282-182 overall record. In the last two years, he's guided the Vaqueros to two straight WSC crowns and a 21-1 conference mark.

The Vaqueros open the 2014 campaign on Saturday in the Bakersfield Quad, taking on Bakersfield (10 a.m.) and Antelope Valley (2:30 p.m.). The home opener is next Wednesday vs. the Cal Lutheran JV at 6 p.m.

Topping the list of newcomers are a pair of outside hitters – 5-10 Kaitlyn Clemann (Crescent City, Calif.) and 5-8 Katelynn Womack of Rio Mesa High. Another strong backrow player is Sydney Kantor from Florida.

The tallest player is 6-1 middle Paige Sabin. Tristen Thompson, the younger sister of ex-UCSB star Katey Thompson, is a defensive specialist from Newport Harbor High.

"Our strengths will be ball control and serving," said Gover. ""We have four girls with great ball-control skills. We're going to be young on the pins, so we're going to be patient with our hitting. We'll see who establishes the right side. Right now, it's between Lea Michaels (a 2013 redshirt), Alissa La Rocca and Molly Lindquist."

Young and Leiphardt are the team captains with Badois and Kearney serving as emotional leaders.

"We're going to need to out-rally teams," said Gover, who always plays one of the toughest schedules in the state. "We're not a big, powerful team that will just beat you with high balls on the outside. We're going to have to be patient, extend rallies and pick up ball after ball and frustrate the other teams with defense and serving."

He said the main goals are to win the WSC and make the state playoffs.

"If you can win the WSC title, you get an automatic bid to the playoffs," he noted. "Also, we'd like to do well in the preseason because we always play the toughest schedule. We just need a couple of quality wins to help us with seeding in the playoffs.

 "You might as well play all the top teams. I'd rather play a quality opponent and battle to win than just play somebody to get a 'W.' "

All home matches will be available on the Internet via live-stream video on the Vaquero Broadcasting Network with Ryan Graff calling the action.