In early October of 2024, the girls varsity volleyball team was ranked 32nd in the 6A division. Now they are ranked 8th, which is a dramatic improvement. 

With nine open spots on the varsity roster, many new players joined the team, along with a new head coach, Charlie Rosa. Seniors Luna Longaker, a defensive specialist and Koko Zemsky, an outside/rightside hitter, have played on varsity for multiple years. They have seen a ton of improvement in the team since last year due to the addition of new players. 

“I think our season has started off super strong. We beat a lot of highly ranked teams like Barlow and West Linn. Additionally, we put up a big fight against Jesuit, who won state last year for 6A,” said Longaker. 

Starting with a lot of valuable wins improved the team’s ranking. Players say Rosa continues to push, motivate and support players as they move forward, helping them stay strong under pressure. 

“I think he’s amazing. I feel like he came in and brought a lot of energy into our program. I can tell that he really believes in us as a team, [and] as individuals. It’s really nice to see him super invested in the game and always showing up,” said Zemsky. 

With a new head coach, new players and multiple successful wins, the varsity volleyball team has a high chance of making it to the playoffs of the PIL. 

“I’m pretty excited for the rest of our season, because I know that we have a lot of potential to win the PIL and make it far in playoffs, which I think is extra special for me as a senior since we’ve never made it past the first round,” said Longaker. 

Zemsky too is optimistic.

  “I’m excited to play Grant and hopefully win the PIL, I really hope we make it past the first few rounds. But, I’m super excited to see how far we go,” said Zemsky.