Wilcox Volleyball to Lean on Defense in 2024

In sports, the saying "defense wins championships" gets thrown around a lot. For the Wilcox varsity volleyball team to surpass last season's .500 league record, embracing this mindset will be crucial.

Last year, the team experienced a significant graduation loss, with a number of key seniors moving on after a deep CCS playoff run. This season, only four seniors are leaving, but they were pivotal players: starting setter Mia Perez-Smith, outside hitters Bianca Burke and Claire Sugrue, and defensive specialist Neda Salehi. Their departure means Wilcox faces the familiar challenge of replacing core players.

Sophomore defensive specialist Emma Gaba, junior setter and opposite hitter Kelsy Mock, and senior middle hitter Kaitlyn Le are stepping up to fill these roles. Despite being only a sophomore, Gaba brings valuable varsity experience from her freshman year. With the team’s height and outside hitting experience being limited, the focus will need to be on strong defensive play, led by Gaba and the rest of the back row.

“I knew replacing the four key seniors was going to be tough,” Gaba said after a preseason practice. “But I’m more optimistic now because many of our younger players are stepping up. We may lack height, but as Coach Lujan says, defense wins games. So, we’re concentrating on ball control and defense, trusting that our offense will develop in time.”

Coach Lujan is confident about the team's potential, even if they had to play a match immediately. “A solid core combined with players moving up from JV gives us a chance to compete, although they still have a lot to learn. We might not be fully structured yet, but we will be competitive.”

Mock and Le, as upperclassmen, are expected to take on leadership roles to maintain the competitive edge that has characterized Lujan’s teams in recent years.

“It’s a new team, so we’re focusing on building chemistry,” Mock said about their preparations. “With more time together, I believe we’ll be ready for our first match.”

Le expressed confidence in the team’s work ethic despite their shorter stature. “Everyone’s putting in a lot of effort and attended our summer workouts. I see improvement in every practice. We’re committed, working hard on every drill, and determined to overcome our challenges.”