Pete Moye’
Sports Button

Sophomore middle blockers Amber Finley, Aundrea Stovall, and sophomore setter Guadalupe Garcia are the only returning starters from last season’s Cerritos College Womens Volleyball team.

The Falcons will have to fill the void of outside hitters Chanelle Puou and Jessika Suesoff, who had a combined 344 kills, 272 digs and 199 assists last season.

Puou and Suesoff were both selected to the All-South Coast Conference team last season.

Head coach Teresa Velasquez-Ortega said not having Suesoff is a loss, but the team has new young girls and is expecting to do very well this season.

Sophomore setter, Guadalupe Garcia stated Puou and Suesoff were big contributors to the team as two of the strongest hitters.

However, the team is looking forward to the upcoming season with three of the team’s returning starters coming back to help get them up to their skill level.

Freshman Stephanie Ortiz is among the freshman looking to make the team and feel the sophomores roles are important.

“The returners obviously have a lot of experience. They have a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders to show us the path, we should be on.” Freshman Stephanie Ortiz said.

One of the few returners, Garcia feels the pressure from the team.

“There is a lot of pressure on us being the returners. There’s only a few of us, most of the team is new.” said Garcia.

The Falcons are now well adapted the second time around, as they head into their second season without a home gym.

Head coach Teresa Velazquez-Ortega along with assistant coaches Gay Castaneda and Nancy Marin, are able to strengthen their athletes with more individual attention due to the number of coaches assisting the team.

“We get to split the team in half and get more ball handling during practice,” Garcia said.

“I have to work twice as hard, because I’m an incoming freshman. I have a lot of pressure and responsibility to catch up to the returner’s skills,” Ortiz said.

The drills in practice have been focused on serving, receiving and passing techniques, which Stovall thinks are key skills in the game.

“We’re a small team. We just need to push forward, get comfortable and trust one another.” Redshirt freshman Jessica Dorado said.

Finley, Stovall and Garcia hope the new members of the team get more into the game and help pass on their knowledge of the sport to benefit team’s performance.

Stovall hopes to keep her fellow teammates encouraged and energized throughout the season.

“I’m like the hype man.”

She says that she’s is ready to give it her all and help take the Falcons out of their two-year slump.

“You can’t dwell on what you can’t fix. Build on it and do better,” Stovall said in regards to last season.

Ortiz stated, “Win or lose, I hope to gain as a student-athlete, a better relationship with the team and to have some fun memories whether it’s laughing or crying together.”

All members of the team will participate in a scrimmage game on Aug. 27.

Red shirt freshman Jessica Dorado says, “I’m hoping to show the coaches the potential I have to play and hopefully that will get me into the starting six.”

The Falcon’s first game will be against Santa Ana College at Gahr High School on Sept. 9.

Nerves and excitement seem to be the rhythm of the team leading to this event.

“I don’t know what to expect,” said Garcia.