The Citrus College women’s volleyball team has been working hard since February to prepare for the upcoming season.
Head coach Shin Jung said his players have been focusing on their individual skills during the off-season.
“We’ve been working on developing their skills and fine-tuning what they already know,” he said.
Due to the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the pandemic, the current volleyball team has no returning players.
“A lot of the players don’t want to come back because they have the opportunity to stay home and take classes online and that kind of hurts us,” Jung said.
Student athlete recruitment since the pandemic has apparently become difficult for the volleyball team.
Despite recruitment difficulties, Jung said he is optimistic about this upcoming season. Jung said he believes that his team’s greatest strength is that everything is new to the players.
“They don’t carry the fear of playing a team that may be better or equal to them,” he said.
Jung said the players to look out for this season are freshman outside hitter Caren Stone and freshman right side hitter Jamie Murphy.
Stone said her team is working hard for their first game that will take place on Aug. 26. against Mt. San Antonio College.
“I’m excited for our first game. I heard it’s competitive and our team is practicing hard for it,” she said.
Murphy, 19, said she is excited to learn a new position.
“I came from high school playing middle all four years and now we’re switching it all up,” Murphy said.
Murphy is also looking forward to the team’s first game against Mt. Sac.
Aside from Mt. Sac Jung said he is excited to go head-to-head with Bakersfield College.
“Bakersfield would be a team I look forward to playing every year because they are very competitive and they’re like us.” Jung said. “They’re not very big but they hustle and work hard.”
“The main focus I have every year from me to them is that I will give my players all the resources they need to succeed,” Jung Said. “I hope they take those resources and translate it to success and give them the opportunity to grow.”
