Lady Honkers volleyball is underway
By Katie Taylor
of The Valley Mirror

The balls have been pumped, the net de-tangled and the spandex washed — Lady Honker Varsity Volleyball is well underway at Willows High School.

The varsity team is already gearing up for their first game of the season Aug. 28 versus Hamilton City and first home game, Aug. 29, against Sutter.

The 16-member varsity squad and 15 member junior varsity team are larger than usual.

Varsity coach Carol Martin said that without freshman sports this year, JV swelled to include more freshmen, helping build next year’s squad. Although Coach Martin usually likes to keep 12-13 girls on the varsity squad, she said there were more girls than average who deserved to be on the team.

“The team is very strong and very deep,” Coach Martin said of her Lady Honkers, “Lots of players with lots of talent. I don’t like to keep that many, but they were too good to cut.”

She also added that sports is a good place for girls to keep out of trouble.

“Now it’s a fight to see who gets what position,” says Coach Martin. “They’re here to impress every day.” She says that the “friendly competition” pushes each one to be more competitive and play to a higher level.

Coach Martin, who also owns a quilt store and co-owns the coffee shop Common Grounds, has coached Willows volleyball since 1994. She herself only played volleyball for one year in high school. Mrs. Martin was a player on the two-time state champion basketball team in ’87 and ’88, and it was her basketball coach who urged her to try volleyball. Mrs. Martin picked up the sport her senior year — while also playing on the tennis team — and earned an all-league patch.

She attended San Louis Obispo, Cal Poly, where she played volleyball and other sports recreationally.

“I majored in ag business,” she says with a laugh about her college years, “and I don’t really use any of it.”

Ms. Martin credits the Butte College volleyball coach, Chuck Johnson and his daughter, Molly, for most of her coaching know-how. She attends their annual coaching camp and says, “I learn a lot of every year, whether its drills, or techniques or ways of telling it.” She credits Mr. Johnson as being an incredible mentor for her and says she looks up to him and his daughter a lot.

“Through their knowledge and experience I’ve gained most of mine,” Ms. Martin says.

Last year was the first time in at least four years that Willows High didn’t win the league. The team will be looking to regain their title this season. As part of the Sacramento Valley League North, Willows plays Colusa, Durham, Rio Vista, East Nicholaus, Delta and Pierce. Last year, Willows High, which is a Division IV team, only lost to Durham, their volleyball rival.

Coach Martin says she likes to stack her preseason with top Division IV teams, like Sutter, Corning and Winters, since most of the their league play are rather easy, Division V teams.

“The team to beat in our league is Durham. Team to beat in our division is Sutter,” says Coach Martin.

Coach Martin runs a tight squad.

The girls are suited and warming up when Mrs. Martin arrives to practice. The team racks up liners every time they can’t get a ball back over the net. They drop and give push-ups when a lack in communication lets the ball hit the middle of the court.

Ms. Martin yells out, “Butterfly!” and the girls quickly form the four-winged drill.

“It’s one of my main things, the girls are on time and ready to go,” says Coach Martin. “Respect is a big thing for me.”

Keep an eye out for the Lady Honkers. Coach Martin says Chantal Vanderbuilt, who led in blocks last year, will be a big middle hitter, with Chelsea Berens and Brittany Grotegruth raining down as outside hitters. Christina Acosta, Kaitelyn Alves and Courtney Perry will be leading the Lady Honker’s offense as setters, and Coach Martin is expecting great passing from Cathy Sivilay and Brook Hoefenke.

“I expect big things from a lot of players,” says Coach Martin of her team, “we’re depth galore.” As for who will be doing most of the playing and who will be doing a lot of the sitting for the team’s upcoming games, Coach Martin says, “the fight is on.