Eagles seek consistency

Bryce Alderton

Jim Huffman likes to include everyone when he can.

This season the first-year girls volleyball coach at Estancia High

wants to establish consistency by meeting with leaders of the

frosh-soph and junior varsity squads to ensure players at each level

are learning similar techniques.

“We go over what drills to do and how to emphasize coaching

techniques so players can make the transition from frosh-soph to

varsity fairly easily,” said Huffman, who guided the women’s team at

Cal State Fullerton from 1989-92 and led the Estancia junior varsity

team a year ago.

Huffman wants to establish consistency to a varsity program that

has had four different coaches the last five years.

“I’m focused on developing technique and working with the skills

we have,” Huffman, who has a son and daughter at Estancia. “We are

going to be well-trained, but we won’t overpower anybody. We are

going to have to win long rallies.”

The Eagles return five players from last year, including 5-foot-11

outside hitter Joy Prebyl, the team’s only senior, along with juniors

Hilary Ockey, a 5-9 middle blocker, Hillary Larsen, a 5-10 middle

blocker and Courtney Fletcher, a 5-8 outside hitter. Sophomore Muriel

Mason (5-8), who can play both outside hitter and setter, also

returns.

Junior setter Betzy Vazquez (5-5) joins three freshmen as

newcomers. Setter Stacy Watson, Huffman’s daughter, along with Joy

Avelino, a 5-5 back row specialist, and Jaye Hellmich, a 5-11 middle

blocker round out the Eagles lineup.

Huffman wants to limit the varsity team to nine members to

cultivate talent steadily.

“If I brought up a whole bunch of players this fall, next year I

could add only one kid [to varsity,]” said Huffman, who played middle

blocker at Graceland College in Iowa. “The three or four kids on the

bubble strengthen the J.V. team and they will get a lot more playing

time. Moving up next year will be the goal.”

Huffman, who owns a graphic design company that specializes in

large-format printing, said a more accurate assessment of Estancia

can be made by the second half of the season.

“We have enough skills to compete,” he said. “It’s how quickly

they pick up the system. So far, they seem to get along well

together, but we will know more by the end of the this month. These

kids trust what they are doing.

“I’m not looking for miracles, just hard work.”