2019 Women's Volleyball Preview

On August 23, the GCC Women's Volleyball Team hit the road for a four hour ride to Cuesta College for a pre-season tournament the following day. Before they left, they posed for photos with smiling faces and full of the kind of energy that would not only be necessary for hundreds of miles of travel, but to endure a long season.

Team volleyball sounds easy enough because after all, how difficult can it be for the six players on the court to hit the ball over the net after executing the necessary pass, set and hit sequence over and over again. Add to that the necessary serve to start the point and a blocking tandem designed to thwart any hit attempts from the opposition.

Speaking of six players on the floor, that was the entire roster for the 2018 Lady Vaqs who despite not being able to substitute players from a non-existent bench the entire season, created a tight bond and rhythm that fueled their underdog mentality and led them to several hard fought victories.

That will not be the case this year as 13 players make up the Glendale roster with two sophomores, Nikki Oberhammer and Claire Codding looking to lend their experience to a large group of newcomers. 

Oberhammer's leadership duties will be increased this season after being named   team captain by head coach Yvette Ybarra. "I feel good about the team and what we can accomplish this year. I think the beach volleyball season helped me and a few other of the girls increase our stamina and skill sets and I'm excited about that,'' she said. "Overall being at GCC has been a great experience for me, something I didn't expect and playing volleyball has been a big part of it. I just want to do everything I can to help us improve and have a great indoor season."