Girls volleyball ready for season

By Joe Naiman

Connie Halfaker, coach of Ramona High School’s girls volleyball team, says the team is ahead of schedule in terms of playing together.

“They are focused and ready to go,” she said. “We have really hit the ground running.”

Halfaker noted that such team play skills traditionally take about a month to master. Halfaker’s 12-girl varsity roster includes seven returning players and four returning starters.

A total of 46 girls tried out for the varsity, junior varsity, and novice volleyball teams.

“That was pretty good,” Halfaker said.

The varsity roster consists of seven seniors and five juniors. The Bulldogs also return assistant varsity coach Jeff Klauda, junior varsity coach Kyle Adelman, and novice coach Lisa Roulier.

“Feel really confident about it, feel like we’re really a balanced team, and focus is unbelievable,” Halfaker said.

Halfaker likes to utilize an out-of-town tournament early in the season to create team bonding. The Palm Desert Tournament had filled that role for Ramona but has been discontinued. The Bulldogs will open their 2012 season by traveling to Watsonville for the Sept. 8 Watsonville Tournament.

“I think everything’s been really positive,” Halfaker said. “I’m really happy with everything that’s come along this year.”