Led by captains, seniors Giordana Ricci and Lina Aluzri, as well as junior Jamie Dailey, the girls’ varsity volleyball team has already been working since early July to prepare for the upcoming season.

“Starting so early in the summer was good for us. By the first scrimmage, I was already used to passing with the people around me,” Aluzri said. “Everybody has their own role on the court, and trust has already been built.”

Coming off an incredible season last year has been both challenging and motivating for the team of mostly returning players.

“Last year we had three really big players [Maddy Abbott, Halland McKenna and Kekai Whitford ‘15] and now that they’re gone, the challenge is finding how we can all work together to create the best team we can,” Ricci said.

In addition to the nine returning players and two previous J.V. players, two freshmen made the team this year. Freshmen Amiyah De’Long and Sydnee Francis joined over the summer and will be vital players throughout the upcoming season.

“The freshmen have a lot of potential. I can see them being even bigger impact players in the future,” Aluzri said. “They both work really hard.”

Over the summer, the team took a bonding trip to Yosemite National Park, where they got to know each other even better, and the closeness of the team has transferred onto the court.

“The team chemistry is the best it’s ever been,” Dailey said. “Everyone just works really well together.”

This weekend, the team is playing in the Dave Mohs Volleyball Tournament at Corona Del Mar High School, where the girls will face Orange Lutheran, Santiago and Woodbridge high schools, among other teams in the playoffs.

“It’s really fun to play teams we won’t get to play in the regular season, and it prepares us to play the teams we will face in our league,” Ricci said.

The girls hope to show that even without the dominant players from last year, they are still a strong, hardworking team this year.

“We all have a really positive attitude going into the season, and I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people,” Dailey said.

The first home game of the season is on Tuesday, Sept. 15 against Santa Margarita Catholic High School at 6 p.m.