Volleyball camp prepares Anderson girls for season

SCRIMMAGE: Varsity volleyball player Raven Chavez, a junior at Anderson Union High School, jumps to spike the ball during a scrimmage game at the Anderson high school gym.

Over 50 high school girls attended a four-day volleyball camp last week headed by Anderson Union High School varsity volleyball coach Pablo Lana and junior varsity coach Jaime McIntire.

"There's a big skill range here," McIntire said, "from beginners to varsity. We're teaching the basics. Even if (the girls) think they know them, some don't have the best technique."

The girls were split into one of three groups by skill level and practiced serving, passing, hitting and blocking in the AUHS main gym. The beginners practiced basic volleyball skills at a slow pace, while varsity-level players ran through tactical drills.

About 15 girls from Redding Christian High School attended the camp, as the gym at their school was under construction.

The hardest aspect of volleyball to learn is passing, Lana said.

"If you don't pass well, you don't succeed," he said. "It's like batting in baseball. The serve is moving. It could have topspin, or it could be a knuckle ball."

When a serve is passed properly, Lana said the setter has more options to set the ball for up to three potential hitters, any one of whom may spike the ball over the net.

While receiving the volley ball on the forearms and passing it properly may be difficult and somewhat painful at first, McIntire said the sting goes away.

"You'll be a little red at first, and there may be some bruising - but you get used to it," McIntire said. "I still get a sting every now and then."

The varsity team looks to improve over its one-win season last year, Lana said. He added that the girls varsity team had several starting sophomores and expects to fare much better this year.

"We graduated a bunch of kids two years ago," Lana said.

While in his second year of coaching volleyball in Anderson, Lana has coached the sport for 23 years.