This year, Costa Mesa offers mixed bag

Bryce Alderton

Opponents facing the Costa Mesa High girls volleyball team this

season may not know who the ball is going to on a given point, a

stark contrast from a year ago when a middle blocker by the name of

Sharon Day roamed the court.

The 5-foot-7 Day soared to earn Golden West League Most Valuable

Player honors in a senior season highlighted by the program’s first

Golden West League championship and a berth in the CIF Southern

Section Division III-A playoffs after a five-year postseason hiatus.

Day was responsible for 75% of the Mustangs’ kills last year as

Salladin begins to develop an offense that must shift its focus, and

that includes everyone.

“The offense this year will be a lot more split,” Salladin said.

“[Players] will be getting a lot more sets each, so it is a much

different [strategy]. Last year, we knew we could go to Sharon and

that she would put the ball away. This year we have four or five

hitters on the court who can put the ball away, though not as hard as

[Day] could.”

Juniors Jackie Havens and Jenny Sparks, both second-team

all-league selections a year ago, along with senior Vicky Pham,

return from last season’s squad.

Havens, a 5-9 outside hitter, will switch to the left side after

occupying the right side last season.

“We need her passing and consistency from the left [side],”

Salladin said.

Sparks will set and Pham can play “virtually anywhere,” according

to Salladin.

Lindsey Navarrette, a junior outside hitter, was the MVP on Mesa’s

junior varsity team last year and Salladin called her up for the

fall.

“She is incredibly strong and has grown a lot over the last two

years,” Salladin said of Navarrette.

Four others made the leap from JV to varsity for this season,

including juniors Rachel Le and Tina Tran, as well as sophomores

Heather Williams and Tracy Bjelland. Le (5-9) and Williams (5-10)

both play middle blocker while Bjelland (5-8) is an outside hitter

and Tran is a defensive specialist.

Junior Vera Gale, who played her freshman year but sat out last

season, rejoins Mesa and can play either middle blocker or outside

hitter.

In addition to losing Day, Salladin lost first-team all-leaguers

Kristen Bagwell, Emily Abbott and Devin Denman to graduation and will

not have the services of senior Stacy Krikorian or sophomore Jasmin

Day, Sharon’s sister. Both Krikorian and Jasmin decided to run cross

country this fall, Salladin said.

“I’m disappointed, not only because they were great players, but

also because they were great individuals,” Salladin said. “Every year

you graduate seniors and look forward to who is coming up. You’ve got

to change what you do with the team based on what you have and that

is always a challenge.”

Joining Salladin, a former setter for Azusa Pacific University, on

the sideline will be George Hillis, Mesa’s frosh-soph coach last

year. He will work with the hitters and blockers while Salladin

assists the setters. Sharon Uhl, recently named the school’s girls

athletic director, takes over as the frosh-soph coach.

Competition for spots figures to be intense, along with league

play, according to Salladin.

“I told them the first day that starting spots are up for grabs,”

Salladin said. “Let’s see what you’ve got.

“Our goal is to win league again.”