Redondo looks to reclaim Bay League girls volleyball crown
Redondo junior Jasmine Davis will move from middle blocker to outside or opposite hitter this season. File photo
By the standards set by Redondo’s girls volleyball program, the Sea Hawks are coming off a disappointing 2016 campaign. The team was eliminated from the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs in the second round.
But Redondo head coach Tommy Chaffins has a good feeling about this year’s squad and its chances of reclaiming the Bay League title from rival Mira Costa before making deep runs in CIF and State competition.
“We have depth in every position and have had great camaraderie, leadership, and competitiveness in every drill at every practice thus far,” Chaffins said. “In early August, we played in the Oxnard tournament and swept Downey, Trabuco Hills, and Los Alamitos before getting swept by Lakewood. In our top seven, we started two freshmen and two sophomores in over 90 percent of the tournament.”
The team was missing starters Lauren Osborne and Kyla Doig because of injuries and freshman phenom Kami Miner hadn’t moved from Las Vegas, yet.
Miner, a 5-foot-11 freshman who plays setter and opposite hitter, has touched 10-3 and drawn the interest of Texas, Penn State and USC before playing a single high school match.
Miner will battle senior and Cal Poly Pomona-commit Kira Zimmerman, Madi Turner and Emily Mitter for playing time. Mitter recently committed to play indoor and beach volleyball at Campbell University in North Carolina.
“Setting is the deepest position we have in our program,” Chaffins said. “I have four college setters on the varsity roster.”
Redondo is ranked No. 16 in the nation in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 poll and is excited to have hard-hitting Brooklyn Schirmer available. The senior had to sit out last season after transferring from Lakewood High School.
The 6-foot-1 Schirmer has committed to USC and has a slight injury to her shoulder but is expected to return to action in two weeks.
Junior middle blocker Kyla Doig is nursing an elbow injury and hopes to be back on the court in two weeks. Doig has committed to play beach volleyball at USC.
Also returning will be junior Jasmine Davis and sophomores Nalani Iosia and Lauren Osborne.
Iosia holds down the libero position. She was named team MVP as a freshman.
Davis, a star on the Sea Hawk basketball team, played middle last year. Chaffins anticipates she will play outside or opposite hitter this year.
Osborne is a 5-foot-8 opposite hitter who started approximately 80 percent of the time as a freshman.
Joining Miner as new additions to this year’s squad will be sophomore middle blocker Jodi Smith, freshman middle blocker Jesse Szymanski and freshman outside hitter Ava Kirunchyk.
“I was not prepared for the improvement Jodi made from last year,” Chaffins exclaimed. “She was pounding and blocking a ton of balls for us. She will be a force.”
At 6-foot-2, Szymanski is a strong, athletic player who has also impressed Chaffins.
“Not many teams have three strong middles (four with Jasmine Davis),” Chaffins said. “In Oxnard, Kirunchyk played as good as any outside hitter played for us at any point last year. She is a strong beach player who has great poise for freshman. There will be a great battle for the second outside hitter position after Brooklyn.”
Redondo opens its regular season Thursday with a 6 p.m. match at Bishop Montgomery. Then it plays in the Dave Mohs Tournament in Orange County Friday and Saturday and possibly Monday if the team reaches the finals.
After a road match at Orange Lutheran on Tuesday, Sept. 12, Redondo will travel to Las Vegas to compete in the 64-team Durango Fall Classic.