Congratulations to Rachael Kidder – Fab 50
Congratulations to Rachael Kidder for her recent selection to Volleyball Magazine’s 2009 Girls Fab 50. Rachael caps her brilliant high school career with one more prestigious award that recognizes the top senior volleyball players in the nation.
Congrats Rachael!
Kidder named All-American
Moorpark High senior Rachael Kidder added another chapter to her storied volleyball career this week when she was selected to the AVCA Under Armour High School AllAmerican first team.
Kidder, who signed a National Letter of Intent with UCLA, was one of 48 girls chosen to compete in the AllAmerican match on Dec. 21 in Omaha, Neb.
“I received the good news through a phone call early Monday morning,” Moorpark head coach Brendan Hanson said. “I couldn’t be more proud of her, and I’m really excited to see her play on the national level.”
Kidder, a four-year starter for the Musketeers, led MHS with 406 kills this season and registered 1,139 kills during her career at Moorpark.
“She’s just a unique talent,” Hanson said. “She’s extremely athletic and can really do it all on the court.”
Things are setting up pretty well for Moorpark
CIRCLE OF TRUST—Members of the Moorpark High girls' volleyball team lock hands and huddle during Tuesday's match against Louisville. The Musketeers, along with perennial power Thousand Oaks, are expected to battle for the Marmonte League crown.
Moorpark High girls’ volleyball coach Brendan Hanson said his team’s attitude this year reminds him of the one his 2004 squad had. He’s hoping the Musketeers can produce similar results as well.
With seniors Rachael Kidder, Shannon Thompson and Teale McIntosh in the lineup, the Musketeers believe they can bring home the program’s first Marmonte League title since the school split the league championship with Newbury Park in 2004.
Moorpark began last season by winning 12 of its first 15 matches. The Musketeers, however, then hit the skids by losing their next six matches and were never again a factor in the race for a league title.
Hanson is confident a midseason breakdown won’t occur again.
“A big part of this team is how they respond once they lose a game, but I’m not so much worried about their mindset,” Hanson said. “We have a veteran group, and we’re all on the same page of what we want to do.”
Another reason Hanson is so confident is because of Kidder, an outside hitter headed to UCLA in the fall of 2009.
Rachael Kidder
Kidder “has really started to tap into her potential,” Hanson said. “She’s finally recognized the player she is, and because of that she’s more confident than she’s ever been. She’s going to shock a lot of people this year on just how well she plays.”
Other Musketeers that will contribute include senior outside hitters Lauren Rohach and Kaitlin Priebe, as well as junior opposite Sarah Hagen.
Although Moorpark is strong on paper, the odds-on favorite has to be Thousand Oaks, which is ranked seventh in the CIFSouthern Section Division I-AA coaches’ poll.
Over the last three years, the Lancers are 41-1 in league play, with their lone loss coming to Moorpark in 2006.
Thousand Oaks will be led by senior setter Hannah Clancy, who was the league’s Most Valuable Player last year. Clancy will set up senior outside hitters Kat Luft, Ellen Querrey and Kelsey Van Uden. Senior middle blockers Shannon Pearson and Paige Mitchell, as well as sophomore Karina Alofaituli, will also make a major impact.
“Our team is hungrier this year,” Thousand Oaks head coach James Park said. “We have a lot of experience, which is just one of those things you can’t teach.
“We could do a lot of damage in the playoffs, but in this league we need to play at a high level all year and play one match at a time.”
Westlake head coach Ernest Rittenhouse agreed that the Marmonte will be more competitive than usual.
“In terms of preseason predictions, I believe this year the league is more balanced than it has been lately,” Rittenhouse said.
“There are so many good teams in the league that I can see a lot of home-and-away splits between teams. I wouldn’t be surprised if a coin flip determines the last team that makes the postseason.”
Westlake was the surprise of the league last year by finishing in second place. With WHS returning senior outside hitter Michelle Ketter, who will join Kidder at UCLA in ’09, and senior setter Dena Gallucci, the Warriors won’t be surprising anyone this time around.
Sophomore opposite Hannah Schuett, senior libero Megan Tuttle and junior middle blockers Melissa Johnson and Chloe Yates are all key players for Westlake.
Finishing in third place last season was Royal, who should also be in the championship mix with the return of junior setter Maddie Simpson.
Simpson, a secondteam AllMarmonte selection last year, has impressed head coach Heidi Buonauro.
Simpson “is a very wellrounded player that has a great attitude,” Buonauro said. “This will be her third year on the varsity squad, and she is definitely starting to come in to her own.”
Other Highlanders that will contribute include rightside hitter Carley Hunter, junior middle hitter Abbey Prusa and junior outside hitter Kathleen Wright.
The team’s X-factor, however, may be Buonauro’s father, Bob Ferguson, who will serve as an assistant coach. Many of the Highlanders’ faithful remember that Ferguson helped guide the RHS boys’ volleyball team to 14 straight league titles from 1989 to 2002.
Newbury Park, an at-large playoff team in ’07, will attempt to get back into the postseason thanks to a senior-laden squad that includes outside hitter Rachel Smith and setter Jackie Russell.
“One of our biggest strengths will be that we score by committee,” Newbury Park first-year head coach John Haroun said.
“We have a lot of different players that can score from many different directions. If we have one or two players having a tough day, we’ll still have a chance to win.”
Other Panthers to watch for include senior middle blocker Chelcy Westphal and junior outside hitter Andreya Van Buren.
Smith’s twin sister, Erika, will be the Panthers’ libero.
Calabasas struggled last season and failed to win a match, but a young incoming freshman class led by outside hitters Emma Gottlieb, Lauren Goff and Marissa Rossi has head coach Marla O’Hara excited about the team’s future.
“We’re in a very tough league, and for the last few years we’ve been near the bottom of it,” O’Hara said.
“We have some new players coming in that have played club volleyball in the summer, and that will help us. It takes time to build a good program, and you have to walk before you run. I feel like we’re now starting to jog.”
Calabasas senior outside hitter Christina Cicione, a four-year varsity player, and senior libero Jennifer Passovoy are two to watch for.
Another team looking to improve will be Simi Valley, which finished in sixth place last season. Head coach Melissa Stites feels the Pioneers will fare better in ’08 due to their work ethic in practice.
Simi Valley will be led by three seniors. Kasey Ullery will play outside hitter; Breanne Metcalf will play opposite, and Jen Donato will be the Pioneers’ libero. Juniors Corrine Ostrovsky, a setter, and middle blocker Erica Binns will also contribute.
Brock Redmond will begin his first year as head coach with Agoura after serving two years as head coach at Newbury Park.
Redmond replaces Carlos Cojulun, who guided the team to a seventh-place finish.
The Chargers return senior opposite Hillary Barner, who led the team in kills with 119. Barner was also second on the squad with 119 digs.
Frustration mounts for Musketeers
Moorpark girls’ volleyball team letting promising season slip away
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com
NOT A GOOD NIGHT- Despite a valiant effort by libero Teale McIntosh on this play, the MHS girls' volleyball team lost to Thousand Oaks in three games on Tuesday.
Flip through the Moorpark High girls’ volleyball team’s media guide and you’ll see photographs of players that are hugging and laughing and having a good ol’ time.
Those feelings, though still relevant on a personal basis, have somehow been lost on the court in recent weeks.
On Tuesday night, in front of a larger-than-normal home crowd, the Musketeers hosted Thousand Oaks High. Playing against a team that was looking to claim its third consecutive Marmonte League title, Moorpark rolled over.
According to MHS junior middle blocker Shannon Thompson, the shame wasn’t in losing to Thousand Oaks in three games- the Lancers won 24 of 26 matches before getting past Moorpark for the second time this year- the shame was in the way the entire team played as individuals lacking a clear goal.
“It’s angry. It’s frustrating- it is,” Thompson said.
“It shouldn’t matter what grade you’re in, how tall you are, how short you are; I don’t care if someone is this tall (hands toward the ground) and all they can do is pass, they should be able to be a leader on the court. Everyone should be able to be a leader on the court- every single person. That’s how it should go.”
Thompson wasn’t the only unhappy Musketeer.
TOO MUCH T.O.- Thousand Oaks' Kelsey Neumann, left, rejects a return by Moorpark's Amber Bell during the Lancers' three-game win Tuesday night. TOHS is the league champion.
After watching his team sleepwalk through the first two games, losing 25-12 and 25-13, Moorpark head coach Brendan Hanson ripped into the squad prior to Game 3.
Hanson’s backlash, a rarity for the laid-back coach, seemed to work well as MHS went point for point with the Lancers until TOHS pulled away late for the 25-20 clincher.
They were missing “fire, passion, intensity; it’s the one thing that’s killed us all year,” Hanson said afterward. “We’ve been Jekyll and Hyde, yin and yang. I’ve got two teams this year, and it’s obvious to everyone that watches us.”
The good Moorpark team, the one Hanson said is the most talented he’s had in his five seasons as the varsity coach, started the year by winning 12 of its first 15 matches.
As September turned to October, however, the Musketeers’ fortunes changed.
In a 12-day span from Sept. 28 to Oct. 9, Moorpark lost six consecutive matches, including league setbacks to Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park.
Battling injuries, the Musketeers rebounded with victories against Simi Valley, Calabasas and Royal. By that time, though, MHS had already put itself into a hole just to try and get into the playoffs.
Junior outside hitter Rachael Kidder said it now feels like she’s playing on a completely different team than the one that dominated early on.
“It was way different before,” Kidder said. “No one really worried about losing, so we’d just play as hard as we could, and people were so into that.
“Now, when there’s pressure, when we’re playing against a team like T.O., people on the team just already assume we’ve lost, and they kind of don’t go after it as much.”
None of this sits well with the players, coaches, parents and fans of Moorpark volleyball. There remains, however, a silver lining.
As the Moorpark Acorn went to press Thursday afternoon, the Musketeers were preparing to play their regular-season finale at Newbury Park. MHS entered the match with a 16-11 overall record and a 7-6 mark in league. A win would’ve guaranteed Moorpark at least a tie for third place.
Going into the playoffs as a potential third or fourth seed, or even as a wild-card qualifier, wasn’t what the Musketeers had in mind at the onset of the season.
Still, until the final whistle blows in the final match, Hanson knows his players have the physical tools to compete with any team and, therefore, a chance at victory. Whether or not the Musketeers have the mental makeup to step up when the chips are down is a question that will be answered very soon.
“If we make it to the playoffs, there won’t be any easy games,” Hanson said.
“I’d just like to see us step up and want it. There’s really no other way to say it; we’ve got to come out and we’ve got to start playing with some heart and some passion.”
Musketeers’ roster has championship potential
But girls’ volleyball coach says Thousand Oaks remains team to beat
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com
TALENTED GROUP- Moorpark junior Rachael Kidder digs out a low ball during Wednesday night's practice at Moorpark High. Kidder, who has already made a verbal commitment to UCLA, is one of many highly skilled players on the Musketeer girls' volleyball team, a group considered the preseason favorite by many to win league.
Early on during Wednesday night’s interview with the Moorpark High girls’ volleyball team, senior Rachel Olinyk shared a secret.
“We’re going to dominate,” Olinyk said in a whisper. “We’re going to be unbeatable.”
For the past two years, Thousand Oaks has been the reigning champion of girls’ volleyball in the Marmonte League. With several key players returning for Moorpark, the Musketeers are hoping the time is now for them to take the title away from the Lancers.
While MHS lost one of its key ingredients from last year’s team, Chelsea Daley, to graduation, they also return several stars. Head coach Brendan Hanson is hoping that the experienced players can help his team improve on a 20-7 record from last year.
“It’s real nice that we have the majority of our team back from last season,” Hanson said. “The team does not feel overconfident by any means, but they do seem to be really cohesive.”
One of the players returning for the Musketeers is Olinyk, who described this year’s team as a closer unit than in the past.
“There’s no drama on the team this year like there was in the past,” Olinyk said. “More of us connect as friends off the court, and that helps us to connect more on the court.”
Another top player returning is Rachael Kidder, who will most likely be playing opposite and outside hitter. Although she still has two more years at Moorpark, Kidder committed to UCLA this past offseason.
EVERYONE WILL CONTRIBUTE- Moorpark's Lauren Rohach, left, and Taryn Cardiel are playmakers for the Musketeers.
“I’ve been thinking about UCLA a lot actually,” Kidder said. “I am preparing to be a key player, and I’m trying to become good all-around, since I don’t know where I will play yet at UCLA.”
Kidder’s teammate and cocaptain, Lindsay Pogemiller, said having a player like Kidder on the team helps tremendously.
“It’s just ridiculous that she is already going to UCLA,” Pogemiller said, with a laugh.
“She is a great player and a hard worker, and she has earned it. I like that she has already committed to UCLA because it gives this team an image. When people come in to play us, they will be thinking, ‘Wow, they have a Division I player on their team.’ I think that is a huge intimidation factor for us.”
Hanson said Kidder should once again be one of the top players on the Musketeers.
“Rachael is a great player, and what I like about her this year is she has more confidence on the court,” Hanson said. “She’s been a little more vocal, too, which comes with her becoming a captain this year.”
Although Kidder looms large for Moorpark, she’s not the only player that should make a difference. Joining Kidder, Olinyk and Pogemiller are returnees Teale McIntosh, Shannon Thompson, Amber Bell and Carli Rudebusch.
“Teale is our libero this year, and her passing has just been absolutely great,” Hanson said. “Shannon has been blocking great for us, and she is now hitting the ball harder than I’ve ever seen her. Her jump serve is on fire, too.
Taryn Cardiel
“Rachel (Olinyk) has been really strong for us. I don’t know if she has been working out over the offseason or what, but she is a stronger player than ever,” the coach said. “Lindsay is just the same as usual. She’s playing great and is showing that she’s not afraid to throw her body on the floor to get a block.”
Hanson said he has also been pleased with the play of senior Amber Bell, adding that she has really come into her own since a great game against Thousand Oaks last year.
Bell agreed with her coach.
“We lost the first two games to Thousand Oaks that night playing a six-two defense, which involves two setters,” Bell said. “The last three games we played a five-one, which has just one setter- myself. So after we won I gained a lot of confidence.”
Hanson went on to say that newcomers such as Lauren Rohach, Taylor Fredrick, Taryn Cardiel and Kaitlin Priebe should help the team as well. Having Sarah Hagen come back from an injury last year will add depth.
Even though Hanson said many people have come up to him this year to tell him they are the favorite in the Marmonte League, the head coach said he is quick to dismiss those statements.
“Thousand Oaks is the backto-back champion,” Hanson said. “Until someone knocks them off, they are the favorite. I think we are going to have a successful year, but there is still work to be done.”
Kidder said if the team continues to trust each other on the court, they should be fine.
“Communication is a big key,” Kidder said. “That and our passing will be the keys if we want to be league champions.”
Moorpark plays Sept. 11 at Dos Pueblos, with game time set for 6:30 p.m. The Musketeers begin league play on Sept. 18 at home against Simi Valley.
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