Central Valley High School's varsity girls volleyball program is moving forward with a new head coach and a revamped roster.
Regina Selfridge replaces Kelly Heese, who led the Hawks to a combined record of 30-23 in Western Athletic Conference play and three Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berths in four seasons.
Central Valley dropped 10 of 12 matches on its way to a last-place finish in the 2012 WAC standings.
"I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with this talented group of young ladies," said Selfridge, who will also coach Central Valley's varsity softball team for the second straight season this spring. "I don't feel any additional pressure."
The Hawks return nine players from last year's team, which participated in the playoffs for the third year in a row.
Central Valley's top returners are Amy Batth (Sr.), Saveena Foletta Delgado (Jr.), Mariana Garibay (Sr.), Chetna Kumar (Sr.), Anysia Lopez (So.), Jennie Novoa (Jr.), Brianna Quiroz (Jr.), Jacquelyn Sanchez (Jr.) and Kayla Walker (Sr).
Newcomers expected to contribute are Angelina Black (Jr.), Angelina Knights (Jr.), Alyssa Maeyama (Jr.) Nayeli Ramos (Jr.), Mahogany Simon (Sr.) and Supreet Turna (Jr.).
Garibay earned first-team all-WAC honors for her outstanding play her junior season.
Mariana ranked first on the team in assists (364) and kills (168).
She also had 261 digs, 32 aces and 15 blocks.
"I have very high expectations as do my other coaches, Aly Hoffman, and Haley Wells," Selfridge said. "We set the bar high for our student-athletes both on the court and in the classroom. The bar is set high, but we have all types of built in assistance to help our student athletes achieve the goals we have set for them. There is a lot of talent within this group of young ladies. They work well together, push each other to be better, and support each other."
The top three teams in the WAC advance to the postseason.
"It would be incredibly special to win the conference title," Selfridge said. "I know several coaches in the league very well. They want the same thing for their school."
The Hawks (7-8) placed third in the conference standings a year ago.
Ceres High earned the WAC's second playoff berth with a 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 23-25, 25-9) triumph over cross-town-rival Central Valley.
The Hawks finished one game behind the Hawks in the league standings.
Central Valley won its previous 12 matches versus to Ceres High dating back to the 2011 season.
The Hawks won 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 25-21, 7-25, 15-9) and 3-0 (25-13, 25-22, 25-19) against the Bulldogs in 2016.
Central Valley has an all-time record of 13-10 versus Ceres High.
"Honestly, there is no Ceres High-Central Valley rivalry," Selfridge said. "Darlene Tobler, the Ceres High coach, and I are friends and have a lot of respect for each other. The girls from both squads have grown up playing sports with each other and against each other. After the game is all done you will see them talking to each other, hugging each other, and wishing each other a good season. I saw it last year during the softball season. It was especially obvious during the All-Star game in June."
The Hawks will look to continue their run of success this fall by advancing to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
"We work one practice at a time, one game at a time, and are always working towards improving and perfecting," Selfridge said. "Of course making playoffs is on the agenda, but our immediate concern is improving our game, learning new skills, and perfecting our skills."
