CdM set with Christian

The Corona del Mar High girls volleyball team, fresh off a CIF

Southern Section playoff run last season, returns three seniors to

the lineup, including last year’s first-team All-CIF setter Kelly

Christian.

Last season, the Sea Kings captured first place in the Pacific

Coast League while also claiming the CIF Division III-A championship.

The team finished 27-6 after falling to University of San Diego High

in the regional semifinals of the CIF State Division III

championships.

This summer, the team, which lost nine seniors, took nine players

to the Kawaii invitational at Kawaii High School during the second

week of August, and finished in third place.

CdM was the only team to defeat Mater Dei in a game.

“They played extremely well for not ever playing together,” said

Coach Bill Christiansen.

On a team with 10 players new to the varsity system, Christiansen

said the team’s focus is to carry on the tradition and class of CdM

and get to know each other.

Standing at 6-foot-1, junior Kasey Kipp returns to the lineup as a

middle blocker, while Christian, a 5-11 junior, returns to the squad

as one of the teams best setters.

Senior Taylor Beauchamp brings her experience to the court as a

5-8 outside hitter.

As for the new additions to the team, Christiansen can’t complain.

“The girls totally compliment the chemistry of the team,” he said.

“They all bring a huge amount of technical ability.”

A part of that technical ability comes from freshman threat

Connoly Kipp, who is 6-4 and growing. Alexine Rodenhuis, a 5-8

senior, joins Kipp to round out the Sea King middle blockers.

Marisa Scott, a 5-4 senior, which Christiansen described as one of

his best defensive players, will play Libero, a position in which a

new high school rule states the player can rotate in at any given

time, giving Scott a chance to play in five rotations out of six.

Steff Hodges, a junior brought up from the junior varsity team,

and junior Kaleigh Trider will hold down the outside hitter and

defensive specialist position, while Jaime Lawson and Brook Terry

will be setters.

At the outside hitting position, Kara Chatham, a 5-10 sophomore,

Jullianne Piggot, who is a 6-2 junior, and Shannon Johnson, a 5-8

junior will add their height and talent to the roster.

“It’s going to be a rebuilding year for us,” said Christiansen.

“These girls are very young, but they’re trying hard, and we’re still

going to be competitive.”