The Cerritos College women’s softball team, who was a Southern California Playoff finalist last season, will be looking forward to another year with a team of brand new faces and players who have returned.

The team is not only ready to compete in the new season, but it is also working on the important part of bonding together.

“At first it was a little rough playing well with each other, but now our chemistry is kicking in and we’re bonding, so now we’re a lot closer,” sophomore Arielle Palafox said.

After determining the differences of playing with each other during the preseason games, the women’s softball team is moving along by supporting each other and cheering each other on during its practices.

“Right now we’re working on playing as a team and not as individuals,” returning sophomore Gabriella Villarreal said.

 “We are actually getting along very well with the freshmen. In the beginning it was kind of hard, only because we were closer to last year’s team, but now we’re getting along and starting to click,” Villarreal added.

The majority of the women on the team are familiar with the sport, since most of them have grown up playing it.

Head coach Kodee Murray recruits players that played in high school and who are set to play at a college program.

Catcher Jessica Roper was one of those players asked by Murray to play for Cerritos.

“[Murray] called my high school coach and showed me around [the campus] and what my possibilities are as an athlete and student.

“It seemed like the right choice for me at the time,” Roper recalled.

The Falcons carry on the reputation of having a program that has influenced players, such as shortstop Briana Quintana to be recommended by her high school coach to play for Cerritos College.

“I needed to go to a community college and my coach had come to Cerritos before and she told me it was a good program,” Quintana remembers.

Coming along throughout their practices, the women are in the part of making it a stronger team that can bond in order to make it easier on themselves to play as better a team and go far into the new season.

“I just want to see our team succeed and do my part and leave my mark on Cerritos. I don’t want to play for myself, I want to play as a team,” Roper said.