Written By: Jerry Vaughan, Staff Writer
EXTRAORDINARY: One of the top teams in Riverside talks about their superb start to the season.
Riverside Poly High School’s Girls Volleyball team is one of the top sports teams on campus. Last season, the team had one of their best seasons in recent years, they were able to make it to the second round of CIF, (losing to the team that eventually had won the playoffs). This momentum carried over from last season, as the Bears are currently on a six game winning streak!
Coach Dana Fulwiter credits these stellar performances to the hard work and commitment shown from the players during their summer workouts. “We played in a summer league and had mandatory and optional practices, we also focused on specific positions on different days too.” This helped dramatically in getting the bears ready for the season ahead and is the main difference maker in having a good and a bad season.
It hasn’t been completely perfect this year though, as the bears started off their campaign with a few losses at the beginning of their season, but Senior captain Kayden Croy knew that it was only a matter of time before the bears started to find their rhythm and continue to show why they are a top team in their division. “We had a rocky start in preseason but have been working hard in practice and it is starting to pay off. We started the league 2-0,” explains Kayden Croy. The competition this season has been pretty difficult, as the bears have faced some solid teams from all across southern California. Even with a “rocky start,” the bears have been able to bounce back and perform to the best of their ability and get results.
This was also a very impressive start to the league as the bears were able to take down two top opponents, (Paloma Valley and Elsinore). This further cemented the bears ranking in the CIF polls, as the bears are currently ranked number three in division six. Senior Kate Sullivan knows that a CIF championship isn’t just a dream, but an achievement that can be gained this season. “Being top five has been a really good thing, it gives us more confidence,” and this is important in establishing the team’s mentality moving forward.
Success has been flowing throughout the entire program, not just the varsity squad, but the Freshmen and Junior Varsity teams as well. Saydee Salcedo, a freshman on Junior Varsity, describes her team’s season as “fantastic!” This season has also been a very positive, and fun learning experience for not only Saydee, but the group as a whole. “This year has taught me to have an open mind and that it is okay to make mistakes,” this kind of growth mentality is prominent throughout the entirety of the program as well. Katherine “Kat” Lounsbury, a freshman on the Freshmen team, described the importance of trying new things. “This season changed my perspective on how I shouldn’t stick to my comfort zone and what I’m good at, but venture and learn new things as time goes by.”
The future’s looking bright for the bears, not just for the rest of this season, but for the future as well! This group is leaving a positive impact on the entire program, and they will leave this positive impact on those who will follow.