The beginning of the Barstow 2023-2024 volleyball season is in full swing! Preseason practices for all fall sports started on August 7th, and the players have been getting ready for a successful season ever since.
There are three coaches for volleyball this season, Varsity Head Coach Chloe Foster, JV Head Coach and Assistant Coach Lisa Tillema, and Assistant Coach Maureen Whittaker.
“It went really well. We had the biggest turnout we’ve had with 30 players coming out, so I’m really excited about all the talent we get to use this season,” says Foster about the team’s preseason.
“This team is really hard working. A lot of them are friends with one another, and they do a really good job of being supportive and teaching each other to help out the team when they make mistakes. We have a lot of natural talent and athleticism, too” Foster explains. “[We’re] hoping to make it to District Finals this season, but also to see the improvements [they] will make as a team by then.”
The players themselves are ready for an exciting season, too. There is a strong sense of camaraderie this year among the team, and it will be exciting to watch them work together as a team to achieve success.
“I am most looking forward to playing volleyball with my friends. The volleyball team is always so supportive and it’s awesome to play with them,” says Loch Beagle ‘25 when asked about what they’re looking forward to this season.
Barstow’s volleyball roster has fluctuated over the past couple of years. This season, the team gets to benefit from the previous year’s player chemistry, while also seeing some fresh faces.
Cam Westphal ‘25 feels strongly about the tight-knit relationships in the team, saying, “We kept everyone from last year, except for Anna, who graduated, but we also added a few new people. Last year, we were recovering from losing six really skilled seniors, but this year, we’ll get to experiment with more than the basics, and I’m really excited to see what our new team can do!”
Anticipated matchups this season include KC Lutheran and Summit Christian Academy.
“I’m really looking forward to playing Lutheran again this year because last year we had a really good game against them that we fought really hard to win,” explains Westphal ‘25.
Beagle ‘25 feels the same, saying, “I am looking forward to playing Summit. Hopefully, we can pull off another win against them like we did last year.”
When asked about what the community can do to support our Knights this season, both the players and the coaches would appreciate continued attendance at home games, especially at Pink Out. This year’s Pink Out game is on October 12th from 5-7 pm against KC Lutheran at home, so be sure to come out wearing pink to support breast cancer awareness and cheer on the team!
