Laguna Beach girls set for volleyball

In Lance Stewart’s third year as head coach of the Laguna Beach High

School girls’ volleyball program, all signs indicate that he will be

putting onto the court the best team the school has seen in the last

decade.

Part of the high expectations have to do with talented players

returning from last year’s 17-7 squad, one that finished in third

place in the Pacific Coast League and advanced to the CIF-Southern

Section semifinals before being eliminated by Marymount.

The other half of the equation is that there’s a supporting cast

to those returners, players who figure to make their presence felt in

the 2005 season.

“I am expecting great things from this year’s team,” Stewart said.

“The talent is real deep here, and this could be one of the most

talented teams at this school in quite some time.”

The four returners include Stephanie Darnall, Dana Hutchinson,

Jilly Peterson and Paige Obradovich.

Darnall, a 5-foot-11 senior outside hitter, was first-team all-CIF

last year and is a player Stewart says returns “bigger and stronger.”

Hutchinson (5-10) enters her sophomore year in 2005-06 but as a

freshman, the outside hitter was so impressive, that she earned

second-team all-CIF honors.

The 5-11 Peterson is a junior middle blocker and right-side

player, and Obradovich, like Hutchinson, is a sophomore and will play

setter.

Joining that foursome on this year’s squad is junior setter

Mychaela Miller, junior Zoe Garrett, a 6-3 middle blocker, junior

defensive specialist Tiffany Chen, sophomore middle blocker Laurielle

Hofer, sophomore outside hitter Beka Farrar, senior twin outside

hitters, Polly and Sophie Rothe, and junior middle blocker Brooke

Kimball.

“In these past two years, we’ve slowly been building the program

back up,” Stewart said, “and this is the year that we really will be

able to turn the corner.”

Four years ago, prior to Stewart’s second arrival as head coach at

the school -- he coached the program previously in the 1990s --

Laguna won just one match.

Three years ago, the Breakers won four matches, then hit

double-digits in wins last year with 17 and earned a CIF playoff

berth.

The Breakers came off double days last week and continue to

prepare for their Sept. 9 season opener against Huntington Beach at

Dugger Gym.

“The girls are in good shape and have worked hard this summer,”

Stewart said. “They have a real positive attitude.

“In order to be successful, they’ll need to learn to play together

and do what I expect of them. I’ve preached to them how important it

is to attack every match with intensity and play every point hard.”

In addition to facing Huntington Beach to start the season, Laguna

also will play at Mater Dei on Sept. 13 and compete in three events

-- the Dave Mohs Tournament Sept. 16-20 at Edison, the Cougar Classic

Sept. 23-24 at Capistrano Valley and at the California Challenge Oct.

14-15 at Torrey Pines, in nonleague play.

Between playing in the Dave Mohs Tournament and the Cougar

Classic, the Breakers will open their Pacific Coast League slate by

hosting Northwood on Sept. 20.

“We’re really looking forward to the season,” Stewart said. “We

have high expectations.”

Laguna is ranked 45th in the preseason prepvolleyball.com National

Top 10 rankings.