Season Preview: Beach Volleyball Prepares to Open 2017 Season With Matchup Against Cypress College
TORRANCE, Calif. – Beach volleyball is starting off their 2017 season on Wednesday, February 15th at home versus Cypress. Last season, the Warriors finished in 1st place in the Western State Conference, having an overall record of 15-1. This season, the Warriors are looking to be even better, switching into the Pacific Coast Conference.
Coach LeValley Pattison shared, "the returning players from last year have vastly improved from last year. Beach volleyball is new to a lot of players that have not grown up playing on the beach, so after one season, they improve tremendously. Our sophomores all have a year of experience, which will help the freshmen who do not have any beach volleyball experience."
Returning sophomores include: Taylor Brydon, Victoria Curtice, Cassi Montani, Brooklyn Rubio, Michelle Shamamoto, Jolene St. Pierre, Kiana Takahasi, and Nina Wyer. Pattison is also expecting great performances from freshmen Bella Radl, Aiko Waters and Micah Hammond, stating, "they are all transitioning really well on the sand."
Beach volleyball is a unique sport because it is a different surface. There are also only two players playing with a lot of court to cover. Additionally, each player has to know how to play every skill, making it a much more rounded game. Pattison shared her thoughts on learning the game, "it takes time to acquire to beach and all of the skills, especially if you have never learned them before."