There’s a new look and a new league for the Live Oak volleyball team from top to bottom.
After a disappointing season in 2016 that featured just eight players (or sometimes six or seven), the Acorns were sent down to the West Valley Division. At the same time, coach Lora Coleman stepped away for the second time.
Overall Live Oak went 8-13 for the season after pulling off wins in four if its first five matches.
However, after rolling up four early wins in league play, the Acorns dropped nine straight to close out the season.
Peter Borja, who had worked as an assistant at Live Oak for six years, finally took over the program this past summer after initially being unsure if he wanted to make the switch from assistant to head coach.
But with Kathleen Davis, he agreed to head up the program and the two have been working to get the girls ready to go.
Davis will take on the JV team while also assisting with the varsity. Borja will assist on JV as well.
Borja said Davis has been instramental in the early going of the season, keeping all the minutia of tryouts, paperwork and working with parents in order while he coaches.
Borja—who’s daughter Courtney played for Live Oak until she graduated in 2015—said he has full confidence in the squad despite recent setbacks within the program in recent years.
“I think we’re going to do good in C league,” Borja said. “I’m setting one of our goals to take this thing.”
The Acorns have three returning seniors to lead the squad in Zoie Brotherton, Josilyn Layton and Sarah Carmichael.
All the rest of the players from varsity last year graduated which opened the door for previous JV players to rise up.
Among those coming up from junior varisty is Anabella Stewart who is a big player in the middle that Borja thinks is going to fit in well up front with senior Carmichael.
Stewart, who also plays basketball, should help to keep things locked down up front.
“She’s tall and pretty athletic kind of putting lot of confidence to take up middle along with Sarah Carmichael,” Borja said.
The other two seniors will primarialy be setting, but will also be playing opposite each other when they both are up front.
“We want to utalize the two strongest hitters in the front when we got them together,” Borja said.
Rounding out the front attack will be Kendall Kirk and Samantha Evans, who moved up from JV last year.
“I’ll be counting on Kendall to produce on the outside,” Borja said.
Live Oak brought up three players who were slated to be on JV this year, but as needs arose, the call was made.
Sophia Lacerda, Kara Blotz and Hannah Hapstead all had their numbers called to move up to the varsity either at the jamboree on Saturday or since then.
Hapstead will play libero off the bench to give some help to Isabella Angakowski, Borja said.
Overall, Borja said he feels confident in the team. At the jamboree, he said Live Oak did well against opponents he expects to see in league play and held its own against A-level teams.
Live Oak will officially kick things off on Sept. 7 hosting San Jose in a nonleague game starting at 6:30 p.m.
