From the first day of practice, the anticipation of what this team could accomplish together sparked high hopes among the players and parents alike. Team goals were simple – Win League, Win Districts, Win State. Last Friday, October 26, the team paused to celebrate the seniors and the first league championship in school history with a Hawaiian feast after the match. The regular season ended with several feats: 1) The team is not only on a 14 match winning streak but a 45 set winning streak. 2) The team has 3 hitters with above .410 average – Lani Kalalau, Tori Smith and Margaux Arntson – and a team hitting average over .350. This stat cannot be possible without the setters and passers - thank you Kaley Turner and Maria Vipond for the sets and Lexi Ross for the strong passing - couldn’t have done it without you! 3) For the 1,125 points the Lady Gators scored on their opponents this season, 287 (25.5%) of them were scored via services aces. As the chant from the crowd goes…. ACE, ACE, ACE!! Tori Smith and Lexi Leclech led the charge with 60 and 58 respectively.

The focus now turns to competing against stronger teams at districts and states. Go Gators!

 

 

 

 

This season started off with a lot of first time experiences. We welcomed a couple of players who had never set foot on a volleyball court, as well as a player who was diving into her first season as coach. This group of girls was exceptionally talented, positive, warm and fun. Our practices were enhanced with singing, dancing, laughter and cheering. I watched each player grow throughout the season, and we became a strong family. I was so fortunate to have such an awesome team this season. Win or lose, we killed it and had a blast!

 

 

 
Joining the Emerald City League at the varsity level was quite an adjustment for this young Gator squad. With a team mostly made of freshmen and juniors, it took the girls most of the season to work together as a team, but they learned that time and effort eventually pay off. “We grew closer as a team by the end of the season. We pushed through a lot and fought until the end,” said junior captain Heidi Bock.

 

Our five freshmen, Emma Bock, Tana Givens, Jessa Jeter, Gabby McCarthy and Virginia Walkey, all received a lot of playing time this season, gaining experience that will carry over to next season. Sophomores Nora Wheelehan and Sara Pelster round the team well along with the nine juniors, Zoe Keskey, Paris Cal, Sam Gabales, Sarah Salam, Allie Kuritani, Heidi Bock, Christina Olivieri, Meghan Absten and Luna LaBelle, who bring leadership and stability.

 

The team was sad to lose Amari Davis, sophomore midfielder, to a serious back injury, and Luna LaBelle, junior forward, to a serious ankle injury. Finishing their season on a bittersweet note, they won their last game and only game of season against Forest Ridge 1-0 in cold wet winter-like weather. The first contest between the two teams ended up in a 4-4 draw. Looking ahead and losing only one senior, defender Danele Alampay, the Lady Gators will be ready for next year knowing what to expect and adjusting accordingly.

 

 

 

 

The Upper School cross-country team competed in the Emerald City League championship meet on Friday, October 19^th. The gators were led by Juli Jugan and Emma Salam, placing 8^th and 18^th respectively. The cross-country Tri-Districts meet at American Lake on October 27^th was a soaker! Emma Salam, Ahi Choi, and Karina Chan ran their hearts out. Juli Jugan ran impressively, placing 19^th with a time of 20:35, which earned her all-league honors and qualifies her for State this weekend in Pasco.

 

 

 

 

It was an exciting season for Middle School Volleyball. 35 girls signed up to play the sport this season, more than one-third of the entire Middle School. The two new coaches for this year, Amy Edmunds (Varsity) and Kyle Price (JV), divided the girls up into three teams, a Varsity and two JV squads. After some deliberation, the girls on JV decided to split themselves up into a group with 8th graders and 6th graders and a group with 7th graders and 6th graders.

 

All three teams focused on the basics of the sport: passing, serving and movement. While the JV spent a little time also working on setting and hitting, the Varsity girls used their longer practice time to develop a broader and deeper range of skills, and they also worked to build offensive and defensive strategies that they used successfully throughout the season. Girls on all three teams experienced a great deal of growth in their skills. For some, that growth was learning to serve the ball over the net. For others it meant hitting a winning spike. And for others it meant learning a new position on the court. 8th Grader Genevieve Harrison summed up the overall experience and prevailing attitude nicely: "I learned so much about this awesome sport, and I had a fun time as well."

 

JV and Varsity both had 10 games on their schedule, and the JV split the games between the two teams. Many of the girls on the JV teams were beginners, so their game skills were shaky to start the year. But again, the growth was impressive. By the last game, the girls could often control an opposing serve and could even organize their own response into a bump, set, spike. The JV girls had a very positive finish to the season with some exciting games. Varsity, building upon a core of experienced players, posted an undefeated season and scored another league championship. Highlights included two away wins, one against Carbonado, a rival from last year, and the other against a spirited squad from Lighthouse Christian in a game that saw a large number of kills and our best team performance of the season. 8th Grader Annika Cederstrand astutely noted the team's flexibility and range of personal skills: "The team had hitters as setters and blockers as passers...and that made all the difference."

 

Great job girls! We're sad to see so many super 8th graders move on, but we're also already looking forward to a successful 2013.

 

 

 

- Emil Verbovski


Middle School Cross-Country






Boys Soccer
Grades 4 & 5

The team has shown tremendous growth and has an impressive record of wins so far. Stayed tuned for a full report with special highlights at the end of the season.

- Jake Taylor