Volding back molding champions

Doug Volding faced a situation he was unfamiliar with.

It was early in his 21st season as head coach of the girls’ swimming team at Corona del Mar High when jury duty took him away from his team for nearly three weeks.

Practices, meets, the majority of the day-in and day-out team activities he was accustomed to, he wasn’t a part of. Sure he kept tabs on the goings on, but he wasn’t able to oversee team functions.

Another school might have taken a dip in the standings. Especially in the individual-by-nature sport of swimming, going without a head coach could have led to focus taking a break as well. Not at Corona del Mar and certainly not on a team with seniors who have finished no worse than second in CIF Southern Section Division II.

This year even the unexpected isn’t distracting Corona del Mar from taking back the title, which the Sea Kings lost by four points in 2005 to Pacific Coast League rival University. The Sea Kings are off to a 7-0 start, including a victory on the road against University on March 22.

“It was a very unique situation,” Volding said. “They are a strong team. I have faith that they aren’t going to roll over for anybody. I had great help. I knew I could count on the seniors.”

Volding had the luxury of having Anne Kittleson, a 10-year veteran of the program, as an assistant.

“She did a great job of keeping it going,” Volding said. “I haven’t had trouble with ‘me, me’ kids. They always want to swim hard for the team, not for themselves or individually. The greater they do, some will get a little embarrassed. It’s admirable that they don’t think of themselves that way.”

Senior Lexie Shue mainly practices with her club team during the high school season, but with Volding out, Shue made an extra effort help out along with team leaders senior Tumua Anae and junior Stephanie Gabert, who holds the Division II meet record in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1 minute, 2.71 seconds.

“Everybody stepped it up,” Shue said. “The seniors really helped out. Everybody was really mature.”

But the Sea Kings are not a senior-heavy team. Freshmen Sara Furgatch, Kelsey Larson, Heather Van Hiel, Kate Barry and Erica Wheeler are making an impact. The chance for freshmen to contribute to the varsity squad is boosted by how Volding runs his team.

Swimmers fluctuate in and out of the varsity team depending on how they are performing.

“We don’t have a set varsity,” Shue said. “It switches back and forth. If they do well they can come up. We were surprised how many freshmen did well.”

The Sea Kings will need to offset the loss of butterfly swimmer Danielle Lavery, who has left the school. With Lavery, the school-record holder in the butterfly and one-fourth of the section-record-setting medley relay team, Volding said his team would be a lock for the section title. Without Lavery, however, it will not be as easy. But Volding still likes the Sea Kings’ chances.

“The special ones you can’t replace,” Volding said. “We are not going to replace her, but other people are going to step up.”

Senior Jackie Duzac and Katie Indvik, a junior from the CIF champion water polo team, will look to fill Lavery’s empty lane.

“I think [Indvik] knows,” Shue said. “Water polo players are amazing swimmers.”

Shue has led the way in improving upon last season. On March 30 she set a school record in the 200 freestyle (1:53.25).

“There is a lot of pressure going in,” Shue said. “Especially since we lost last year. People were disappointed. We’re stepping it up.”

Throughout the season, the Sea Kings know the level of competition that looms ahead. Competing for a section title has taught the team to not rest on merely qualifying for the CIF meet. That is why Corona del Mar met Division I powerhouse Mission Viejo on Thursday, a 20-point win for the Diablos.

“They know what lies ahead,” Volding said. “They’re smart enough to know there is another level. They know what CIF is like.”

The Sea Kings remember the 2005 section meet well. The good: breaking two records; and the bad: losing by four to a league rival.

“It was tough,” Shue said. “Everybody did their best. After we were looking toward next year. It was pretty positive. You can’t be upset with second.”

Volding believes this year will be different.

“I have to hand it to University,” Volding said. “It is not easy to do the second time around. We are going to reclaim the league title from University. We are going to reclaim the CIF title we lost to University.”