Club Shoreline Volleyball Club

CONGRATULATIONS to all our Club Shoreline teams for a great 2009 Season!

18’s Team finished 2nd overall in Area League out of 86 teams.

16’s Team finished 10th overall in Area League out of 137 teams.

14’s Team finished 25th overall in Area League out of 166 teams.

We are looking foward to the 2010 season!

June 6 & 7, 2009: 16’s Team Regional Championships

Finish: 7th Place

The 16’s team began this tournament with determination and focus. Saturday was important because our team needed to maintain our number one seed in order to place well on Sunday, and it was great to watch their unity on the court all day. They flowed so well with passing, covering, setting and hitting. Haley Tushar was on fire! Nothing got by her and her intensity fueled the team’s success. By the end of the day there was much to celebrate. We finished Saturday undefeated!

On Sunday, we were in a tough pool with Jumpstart and Watsonville Crush. We beat Jumpstart in two close games and ended up going to three games against Crush. Unfortunately, we were unable to find an answer for the win. This heartbreaking loss moved us into the Silver Division for the playoffs.

In our first playoff match against Cyclone, the girls were still holding onto their previous defeat and it showed. We did not prevail and lost to Cyclone in the third game. Our final match was against our biggest rival throughout the season, Pacific Performance. Every match we’ve played with them has gone to three games. The girls knew this was their last time on the court together this season and wanted to go out with a bang, and they definitely did that, beating Pac Performance in two impressive games! The Cyclone coach addressed our entire team after the match and told them they were by far one of the best teams he had seen all season. That was particularly gracious of him and I know the girls really appreciated his kind words.

Throughout the day, Jenna Kayson played with consistency. Jenna is the kind of player you want on the court when things get hectic because she stays calm and knows when to make a kill or when to keep the ball in play.

The other two players that stepped up this weekend were Sarah Gruber and Emily Nelson. These two girls are the setters and the quarterbacks of the team. Their contribution to the team’s success was vital and they showed tremendous growth in their thinking process by running plays with intention and confidence.

Congratulations on a great season girls! I wish you all a fantastic summer!

MVP of the tournament: Haley Tushar

Game Ball goes to: Jenna Kaysen, Sarah Gruber and Emily Nelson

 

May 30 & 31, 2009: 18’s Area League Championships

Finish: 3rd Place

The final tournament taught our team one of the most valuable lessons: we need to do all we can to win the game and not wait for the other team to lose the game. The tournament was the toughest yet with the 12 strongest Area League teams. The first day we played calm and powerful, winning every match. Everyone worked well as a team and did their individual jobs.

The second day of the tournament we were challenged both mentally and physically losing to ALCIS. Our serving and offense came up short. It seemed that every player on the team was waiting for someone else to be the play maker. Our serving was lost, however ALCIS served very tough and shut down our offense.

Our last and very emotional match we came together and proved we are a force. Lily Denevan served amazingly giving us a huge lead. What a great way to end our season. Congratulations to the entire team.

MVP: Lily Denevan – for her amazing serving and consistent all around plays.

Game Ball: Alex DaRosa – for continuing to move forward not only in her offense and blocking, but for her court presence; and Karly DaRosa – for her commitment to play with no fear.

May 30 and May 31, 2009: 14’s Team Regional Championship

Finish: 13th Place (out of 20)

The final tournament allowed our team to really show what they’ve learned this season. We were placed with the toughest area teams in our region and the competition was fierce all weekend. We focused on staying committed, aggressive swinging and useful communication. The players showed tremendous growth and improvement in each of these key elements throughout the weekend.

Our best match of the tournament, and possibly the season, came on day one against Palo Alto. Although we did not walk away with the win, we fought hard and played solid against a great team. The girls were noticeably aggressive and worked well as a team. Unfortunately, we just missed entering the gold bracket with a tough loss in three games to Point Break. However, we came back to win the Silver Bracket on Sunday!

The coaches were delighted to see the numerous aggressive back-row attacks and improved communication from the players (i.e. talking on serve receive and calling for sets). It was a positive way to end a wonderful season!

MVP of the tournament: Alea Andres-Salvay for swinging aggressively in the middle, and Jensen Shurbert for amazing communication.

Game Ball goes to: Noelle Alaimo for talking it up in the final match.

 

May 16, 2009: 16’s Team Bonding

Petroglyph Ceramic Lounge

Petroglyph is a paint-it-yourself pottery studio. We all picked an item to paint that reflected our personal interests and personalities. It was interesting to see what everyone selected and their reasons for selecting the item. Many girls painted Father’s Day gifts. Our assortment of pieces included a robot, skateboard, converse shoe, jewelry box, cereal bowl, coffee cup, frog and lizard.

We all had a fantastic time together and this experience helped us to bond as a team on a more personal level. On the court, the girls are aggressive and determined. Off the court, they are loving, funny and very thoughtful, beautiful young ladies. I am honored to have had the chance to be their coach.

 

May 17, 2009: 14's Team League Tournament #4

Finish: 5th Place

In this last league tournament, the 14’s demonstrated how much they have improved this season with better communication, less hesitation and more aggressive offense (including back row attacks). The entire team showed tremendous improvements in all of these crucial areas.

In pool play, we barely lost in three to a solid Watsonville Crush team, which unfortunately sent us to the Silver Bracket. We sailed through our play-off bracket and took 5th place overall. Maya Jensen had a fantastic day and helped the team out by providing stellar passing, aggressive back row swings and consistent and powerful serving. Briana Sutton really connected on some middle attacks and also had a good serving run in the semi-finals. Erin Astin stepped up her offense and provided some beautiful topspin kills from the outside in the finals.

For Regionals, we would like to play strong from the start, so that we can earn our spot in the Championship Bracket and end our season with a first place finish!

MVP of the tournament: Maya Jensen

Game Ball goes to: Erin Astin and Briana Sutton

May 16, 2009: 16’s Team, League Tournament #4

Finish: 2nd Place

Before we began to play, I asked the girls to be accountable for their jobs and to set goals for themselves prior to stepping on the court. It was obvious they took this request to heart and it helped them work through some hesitation in the morning. We had a strong pool with Santa Cruz Sharks and Pacific Performance and knew there was little room for error. We struggled some with the Sharks but got stronger as the match played out and ended up winning in two games.

The girls brought incredible energy, confidence and determination in their match against Pacific Performance. Their fire was undeniable! Anna Latinen was a hitting and blocking machine. She also had a fantastic save that fueled the team’s momentum. It was so satisfying to see her play to her ability and make critical contributions to the team.

The other individual that stood out and accomplished her personal goal was Haley Tushar. Haley played fiercely! Her hitting and serving were unbelievable. Haley’s goal was to get a solid block and she definitely did that. In one of the most exciting plays of the day, Haley roofed a girl swinging out of the middle with authority, helping Shoreline to win in two.

In the Championship match, we lost the first game to Salinas. However, this loss only focused our team even more. The girls kept fighting and ended up winning the second game. We were head to head in the third game, but Salinas was just a little bit stronger siding-out. Our team should be really proud for pushing themselves to be better players and accomplishing many of the goals they set personally and for the team.

In looking towards Regionals, we want to continue to define and work on both our individual and personal goals. This will be an integral part of every practice and every game. We are going to decide how we win and lose, and whom we want to be when we are on the court.

Congratulations Shoreline 16’s for an outstanding tournament!!!

MVP of the tournament: Anna Latinen

Game Ball goes to: Haley Tushar

May 9, 2009: 18’s Team, League Tournament #4

Finish: 2nd Place

We have nearly perfected our offense with setters Mikayla and Rose able to set any player. We have become a team that is not afraid of taking aggressive swings.

However this tournament tested our team’s defense. The team showed tremendous confidence in pool play and made it to the finals. It was in the final match against Watsonville Crush where we struggled defending the tip. We learned the lesson: “Who is going to step up and take control?” It was a hard lesson. We lost in the final match with our opponent tipping the ball over and over. The team realized that only one of them needed to say “I’ve got the tip” and do their job. All and all, we are continuing to improve each tournament and look forward to the Championships. Congrats!

MVP: Taylor Gorman - for never compromising the player she is during the entire tournament.

Game Ball: Courtney Pacheco - for implementing a serving plan and serving 16 points in a row.

May 3, 2009: 14's Team League Tournament #3

Finish: 7th Place

We wanted better competition and we got it!

For the most part, it was a tough day for the 14’s. We ended pool play 1-1 and consequently began the playoffs in the Silver Division. We met up with an amazing Palo Alto Elite team in the first round of playoffs and, although we battled with them at times, we were unable to secure a win. Palo Alto must have had a slow start in pool because they definitely belonged in the Gold Division. The highlight of the day was beating Main Beach in playoffs!

Madison Rocha helped her team by playing a new position on the right side. She took great swings and made some key sets to help us beat Main Beach. As usual, Sierra Tobin had stellar passing and defense all day long. Alea Andres-Salvay, with help from her amazing vertical jump, swung aggressively from the middle in every game. Alea also showed great improvement in her serve and led some crucial point runs for us.

The 14’s are focused and ready to work on talking more and hesitating less to help us find success on the court in our next tournament.

MVP of the tournament: Alea Andres-Salvay

Game Ball goes to: Madison Rocha

April 28, 2009: 14’s Team Bonding

Marimba Workshop

The 14’s Team showed they are not only talented on the volleyball court, but also musically talented. The girls worked together as a team (and a band!) to create a Marimba masterpiece. The Marimba is similar to a large wooden xylophone. The rhythm and focus these girls possess is truly amazing! Some lucky parents had the privilege of listening to their final piece and it sent chills up their spines. Nice job girls!

 

April 8, 2009: 18’s Team Bonding/Building

School & Art Supply Fundraiser

The 18’s team participated in a school and art supply fundraiser for Santa Cruz Cares, a local organization dedicated to improving the lives of orphans in South Africa. In 2006, Santa Cruz Cares raised enough money to build the Tsakelami Orphan Day Care Center, which serves approximately 100 orphans who have lost their parents to AIDS. The Tsakelami Day Care Center helps these children to get off the street and provides a multitude of desperately needed services including financial assistance for school, academic tutoring, medical care and day care for younger siblings.

Our fundraiser was held in Downtown Santa Cruz at Palace Art Supplies and Longs Drugs. Players were divided into two teams and each team was given an ambitious list of items to collect (ex. 30 kid scissors, 30 pencil sharpeners, 30 colored pencil sets, etc.) from customers at these stores or people just walking by. In just two short hours, our team collectively raised over $600 in school and art supplies! This exceeded our goal and proved to us that anyone is capable of making a difference if they are willing to try. Every girl rose to the occasion and genuinely contributed to our fundraising efforts. At the Palace site, Chloe Tushar and Mikayla Glaum approached potential donors with confidence and sincerity. Taylor Gorman, Courtney Stevens and Pam Cabrera answered questions and collected cash donations. At Longs, Rose Carman and Alex DaRosa approached everyone with enthusiasm and heart felt effort! Maddie Young and Lily Devevan filled the administrative role, keeping the team focused and on task. Molly Glaser and Karly DaRosa assisted in all roles when needed.

The girls should be incredibly proud of themselves for stepping out of their comfort zone and embracing this task full-heartedly. This experience taught us all how to handle rejection with grace and how rewarding it feels to help others in need. Congratulations ladies on scoring a true and meaningful victory!

Afterwards, we enjoyed pizza and soda together to celebrate our amazingly successful fundraiser. For more information about Santa Cruz Cares, please visit www.SantaCruzCares.org.

April 5, 2009: 18’s Team, League Tournament #3

Finish: 1st Place

The vision we have been holding for our highly talented 18’s team came to fruition this past tournament. With few exceptions, the team played with focus, clarity and confidence from the very first serve in pool play to the very last swing in the finals. Reserve player Chloe Tushar dominated the court with her aggressive offense and serving. Rose Carmen set a fantastic last game, connecting with hitters for some incredible kills. Karly DaRosa surprised us all with a gutsy short serve and willingness to correct some defensive habits. Karly is quickly developing into an all-around great volleyball player. Alex DaRosa was a force at the net! She was literally unstoppable. Alex also served tough the entire day. Taylor Gorman embodied determination. She helped lead the team to victory with her scrappy defense and phenomenal line hits. We are extremely proud of our entire team for playing at a consistently high level for an entire tournament and greatly limiting the number of points scored on us by our opponents! This is something we have been diligently working towards. Congratulations 18’s team on your much deserved 4th consecutive win!

MVP: Alex DaRosa and Taylor Gorman

Game Ball: Karly DaRosa

April 4, 2009: 16’s Team, League Tournament #3

Finish: 2nd Place

The 16’s team started out playing strong and determined. From the first match, 3 players made a mark for themselves. Lily Connor started out as a Libero and did a superb job! She made some amazing digs and was essential as a back row attacker. Later in the day, Lily played outside with the same intensity. It was exciting to watch her play with such confidence and fearlessness. Kayla Franco started out as an outside player and did a commendable job as well. She found her swing and confidence! Kayla also made some determined saves as Libero later in the day. She continues to improve in her new position on this team. Summer Noble also stood out. Summer served tough, scoring many points, and owned her position as a blocker and hitter on the right side. Summer made a major contribution to the team by also stepping in and setting some great balls. These three girls played a defining role in the matches we won and excited the team with their hard earned successes!

We lost the Championship match to the Diamonds in a long, heartbreaking 3rd game. The Diamonds had 2 strong, tall hitters who challenged us defensively. At times we controlled the game but we were unable to maintain the momentum long enough to win. In the end, we struggled some in serve receive, but not without putting up a great fight. Congrats 16’s team for a solid 2nd place finish!

In looking towards the next tournament, we will continue to work hard to earn our position in the finals. We need to work on finishing strong, passing well under pressure and playing with intensity when it matters most.

MVP of the tournament: Lily Connor

Game Ball goes to: Kayla Franco and Summer Noble

March 28, 2009: 14's Team League Tournament #2

Finish: 2nd Place

The 14's second league tournament was a great display of the team’s hard work and dedication. They started the morning off strong with outstanding teamwork, tough serves and excellent defense. Great passing enabled the girls to run a varied offense. Miranda Harrington made some incredible digs and completed the plays with kills. Annalise Tucker and Sierra Tobin served tough and Brianna Sutton contributed some great hits out of the middle. Alea Andres-Salvay demonstrated her improved timing with big hits out of the middle as well. In the finals, we faced a physically bigger team with extremely tall middle hitters. Both Madison Rocha and Jasmine Graves shut them down with HUGE middle blocks and the team stayed tough, putting up a good fight. We lost 21-25 in the final game, taking second, but the improvement the girls showed feels like a victory. Congrats to everyone for a job well done!!

MVP of the tournament: Miranda Harrington for exceptional offense and defense.

Game Ball goes to: Jasmine Graves for making the change in her middle attack and finding the left-side line.

March 22, 2009: 18’s Team, League Tournament #2

Finish: 1st Place

The 18’s team fought their way back, yet again, in the 3rd game of the final match to win the tournament against Endline Black! Endline Black is a superbly coached team and they played with a lot of heart and energy. Hanna Wilkinshaw came up with 3 impressive middle blocks during our comeback in the final game and Pam Cabrera served 6 crucial balls in a row to keep us in the game. Mikayla Glaum ran the offense with confidence and composure with her best setting effort this season. Alex DaRosa impressed us all with her court presence, noticeable effort, and willingness to fill whatever role was asked of her. Lily Denevan, Molly Glaser and Taylor Gorman contributed consistency and conviction throughout the day with solid defense, hitting and serving. At the next tournament, the team will work on playing up to their potential during pool play. We want to start and finish the day with a high level of focus, clarity and intensity. CONGRATS 18’s on your 3rd tournament victory!

MVP: Mikayla Glaum and Hanna Walkinshaw

Game Ball: Alex DaRosa

March 15, 2009: 16’s Team, League Tournament #2

Finish: 1st Place

We started the day seeded #1 out of 16 teams and finished the day #1 out of 16 teams! Sometimes there is added pressure being the top seed and our team showed today that they are capable of handling themselves under pressure. All of our players did a great job this weekend. The team worked hard and earned their tournament WIN!

Our toughest match in pool play was against Pacific Performance, who we also met in the finals. The match went to 3 games and we finished on top. In the finals, Pacific Performance was hungry to take us down. Coach “D” used time outs to keep the team focused on controlling the momentum and finishing strong. Our team rose to the challenge and played their best volleyball yet.

Jenna Kaysen, Lohana Richmond, Alyssa Johnson-Schmidt and Nikki Miyashita rocked the court with their kills. Sarah Gruber and Emily Nelson did a great job setting and keeping the ball in play. Hayley Garcia led the team in digs. Lily Connor & Kayla Franco helped out with some great saves and back row attacks! Lohana, Nikki and Haley Tushar kept the pressure on serving aces.

MVP of the tournament: Nikki Miyashita and Hayley Garcia

Game Ball goes to: Lohana Richmond

March 7, 2009: 14’s Team, League Tournament #1

Finish: 1st Place

Although the tournament format limited the number of teams we played, Coach Moon and Coach Jen continue to see great improvement from every player on the team. The match against Monsoon in the semi-finals was the team’s best match of the season. Throughout the match, the team served tough, passed consistently, hit smart and communicated effectively. Practices are really starting to pay off! Sierra Tobin led the team with her passing and defense. Faith Apolski led offensively, on the service line and at the net. Congratulations to the entire team on earning their first TOURNAMENT WIN! We also beat a team coached by Stanford players!

MVP of the tournament: Faith Apolski and Sierra Tobin

Game Ball goes to: Sierra Tobin

March 1, 2009: 18’s Team, League Tournament #1

Finish: 1st Place

Our 18’s team continues to show amazing focus and talent at every practice. At this tournament, they lived up to our expectations of them as players and a team as the day progressed. Despite our matches in pool play starting off a bit slow, the team found their rhythm and identity during the semi-finals and finals. We won our semi-final with intensity and played nearly flawless. Our final match against Sol Jahs was incredibly exciting and provided us with an invaluable lesson about momentum. We won the first game with great offense by Alex DaRosa and by sticking to our game plan. However, we gave the Sol Jahs a little momentum at the end of the first game, which they used to beat us in the second game! In our 3rd game to 15, we found ourselves down 14-10. Several players dug deep in a situation that required us to play 6 consecutive points without a mistake. Taylor Gorman was amazing at defense! She picked up all the “junk” and kept us in the game. Hanna Walkinshaw made a critical block and hit back down the line to give us the edge. Anneka Lettunich served in under a great deal of pressure and also contributed a key dig. Setter Rose Carmen found Molly Glaser outside who ended the game with a very determined hit down the line. CONGRATS to our team for an amazing comeback and deserved tournament win!

MVP of the tournament: Taylor Gorman and Alex DaRosa

Game Ball goes to: Anneka Lettunich

March 1, 2009: 16’s Team, League Tournament #1

Finish: 3rd Place

Our team’s hard work in practices is paying off and definitely showed in this tournament.  We came out of pool play strong, passing great and serving consistently. We took advantage of some down time before the semi-finals with a little team bonding to stay connected and focused for our upcoming match. We faced Eclipse in the semi-final and they are a strong team. At points in the match it seemed like it was OH against OH. Nikki Miyashita was killing balls and earning us points. She dug and passed well, allowing the setters to give her near perfect sets. Alyssa Johnson Schmidt played great defense as well and took many aggressive swings. The entire team fought hard but unfortunately Eclipse took it from us again. We will continue to practice with intensity and turn our weaknesses into strengths. Our team is capable of a 1st place win.

MVP of the tournament: Nikki Miyashita

Game Ball goes to: Nikki Miyashita

February 14-16, 2009: President’s Day Tournament

18's Team

The 18’s Team used this tournament as a learning tool for game momentum, true focus, time-management and, most of all, who we are as a team. We lost some games that we really won because we played to our full potential and we won some games that we really didn’t deserve to win. It was an opportunity for us to remind the girls that we judge them by the quality of their effort, not the outcome. Our focus from here until the end of the season is to practice with intensity, make changes quickly, to play to our potential as individuals and as a team and to continue to learn and love the game!

16's Team

The 16’s Team had a rough start. However, by the end of the first day, we were playing more connected and focused. As the team’s confidence grew, their movements became more fluid. As libero on the first day, Kayla Franco did a great job defending the backcourt. Nikki Miyashita did an excellent job with her fast swings, allowing her to beat the block every time. Sadly, Matti Jenkins suffered an injury. Fortunately, the injury brought the team closer. The entire team grew so much over these three days. It’s exciting to see them eager to learn and get better. They are a fun group of players and I expect to see tremendous growth this season!

14's Team

The three day tournament is just what the 14’s Team needed to fine tune their skills and get comfortable running a 6-2 offense. The team is lead by Captains Annalise Tucker and Faith Apolski. Faith is a great all around player who leads the team with skilled passing, setting, serving and hitting. Annalise leads the team with her disciplined work ethic, consistent setting and aggressive serving. Throughout the tournament we encountered many tough teams that challenged us to step up our playing ability. Noelle Alaimo was one of the many players who rose to the challenge. She started off a bit quiet, but finished the tourney calling for the outside set and swinging away for points. By the end, we were working together as a team and won our bracket! The 14’s are definitely ready to put their skills to work in League!

February 8, 2009: 14’s Team, League Qualifier

Finish: 5th Place

Annalise Tucker stunned players and spectators alike by serving 25 points in a row for a win over Point Break. Madison Rocha followed suit and served 10 points in a row! Sierra Tobin’s outstanding defensive skills earned her a spot as libero and Miranda Harrington proved to be consistent in both the front and back row. Jasmine Graves got more aggressive in the middle and proved she can pass. Jensen Shurbert put up some beautiful sets, served consistently and hit great as a right sider. Maya Jensen is a gifted passer and also hit aggressively from the outside. Erin Astin has a great topspin downball. Brianna Sutton has great timing on the block and her offense and serving continue to improve. Alea Andres-Salvay has an amazing vertical jump, a key attribute for effective middle blockers. We are looking forward to our first league tournament!

MVP of the tournament: Annalise Tucker

Game Ball goes to: Annalise Tucker

February 1, 2009: 18’s Team, League Qualifier

Finish: 1st Place

The 18’s team proved to be a force at the qualifier. Our strong serving resulted in many aces and kept pressure on the opposing teams. The setters, Rose Carman and Mikayla Glaum, focused on “running an offense.” Alex DaRosa showed improvement in hitting and both Alex and Hanna Walkinshaw had a strong presence on the court. Molly Glaser led the team with her determined spirit and aggressive attitude. Our final match against Endline was a battle. Endline is an amazing team and our girls played with confidence and focus. CONGRATS 18’s Team!

MVP of the tournament: Molly Glaser

Game Ball goes to: Hanna Walkinshaw

Feb. 1st, 2009: 16’s Team, League Qualifier

Finish: 3rd Place

The 16’s Team had a solid tournament. The team had great energy and never gave up. Our strength is in passing and every player gave it their all. We realize that we have lots to learn and are excited to grow as a team as the season progresses.

MVP of the tournament: Mattison Jenkins

Game Ball goes to: Alyssa Johnson-Schmidt