Joey Vacca is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Valley Christian High School for AZPreps365.com

Expectations are high as ever as the Valley Christian High School volleyball team prepares to take the court for its 2020 campaign.

The  Trojans are  coming off a stellar  2019  season. In head coach Lindsay Ramsland’s second year on the job, the team went undefeated in its section. With a final record of 27-6, the Trojans posted their best winning percentage in more than 10 seasons (0.818) and secured the No. 1 seed in the 3A Conference state tournament. 

The  Trojans’  2019  run  was  spoiled  in  the  championship  round  after No. 6 seed Northwest Christian pulled off the upset. But the way Ramsland sees it, there is more to come.

“I think expectations are to win state,” Ramsland said. “I think that the same contenders that were there last year are the same this year.”

For Ramsland, it takes more than just playing well to win. 

“We’ve got a lot of really good talent  on  the  team,”  she said.  “So it’s not necessarily a matter of who’s going to be the better team athletically. It’s going to be a matter of who’s going to be able to stay healthy and also keep their mental game strong.”

Ramsland makes a strong effort to help her team maintain a strong mentality when approaching the game and each other. She cited having a no tolerance policy for drama and eliminating negative  energy as some of her key coaching philosophies. 

“We call it our mini family,” she said. “That’s a really big thing we work on at Valley in our volleyball  program.”  

To  accompany a strong mentality,  Cara  Braun, a San Diego State commit, is some of that “really  good  talent”  Coach  Ramsland  referred  to. The  junior outside hitter led the 2019 squad in total kills (347) and kills per set (3.6) and is expected to have another strong impact this season. Ramsland described the future Aztec as humble, kind, and someone who she expects to be a great contributing factor. 

Ramsland referenced her seven “fabulous” seniors. “Whatever their role is, they're just great people, great players,” she said. She singled out senior setter Kenzie Carpenter, who has committed to Hope International University in Fullerton, Ca., and called her, "a great, flexible player who can contribute in a number of ways." Carpenter was second on the team in hitting percentage (.540), third on the team in sets played (98), and in the top half of the team in kills (74), kills per set (0.8), and kill percentage (.540). 

After  the  struggle  of  a  confusing  offseason in the middle of a pandemic, Ramsland and the Trojans are excited to get back on the court. It was only recently the team found out there was going to be a season.

 “It’s been like a puzzle, we don’t know what the picture is,” Ramsland said.