Kaelyn Miller is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Gilbert Classical Academy for AZPreps365.com

Gilbert Classical Academy’s volleyball team is set to look quite different this season. 

Seven seniors, many of whom were club players, graduated last year, leaving the team to fill spots with younger and less experienced players. 

“I have pretty much an entire JV team moving up to varsity and the big thing is getting them to understand how to compete,” coach Kerry Morgan said. “You can't coach someone to compete, they either do it or they don't. That's been our focus, learning how to compete and what it means to compete.”

Morgan called this a “loading year.” 

“I'm calling this our loading year so we can come back on fire next year,” she said. “This team can compete. They have such great skill and it's just fine-tuning it and getting it to work together as one unit instead of individually. 

One of the key returning players is junior Mia Drake, who is switching to a new position and has been named team captain.

 “For the first time in my eight years of coaching she has been one of the only players where I have immediately said, ‘You are my captain. There is no question,’ ” Morgan said. 

“She's a good talker, she's strong on the court and she's going to be looking great [this season].”

Junior Keely Sorensen is expected to be “a force” this season as well as freshmen Lola Warren (S, OPP) and Mallory Kalkman (DS, L).

This season will be unique, not just because of the growth that will take place on the court, but because of the challenges brought on by COVID-19. The team lost about six weeks of its training due to regulations against contact between students and coaches, and will have a condensed schedule this season. 

“We have some weeks where we have four games so that leaves one day to practice,” Morgan said. “Anything I see on one night, we still have three more games coming so we really can't devise a plan inside the gym and practice it prior to beginning another game.”

Regardless of the challenges that the team will face this year, coaches and players are ready to get back to normal.

 “These kids, especially high school students, need this as an outlet for so many reasons and so much development and growth, physically and mentally,” Morgan said.

Gilbert Classical Academy opened its season by beating Heritage Academy Heroes in three sets. GCA controlled the first and third sets, winning 25-16 and 25-15 respectively. Drake had 12 kills. Sorenson served five aces. GCA then dominated against Arte Prep, winning 25-7, 25-9, and 25-12. The team had 28 digs, nine of those coming from Drake and another six from Adina Kolia. Sorensen had another strong serving performance with six aces and Austyn Jones had five.

In the final game of the week, GCA beat Sequoia Pathway Academy 25-22, 25-16, and 25-7. Jillian Urrea had 24 digs out of the team's total of 56 against the Pumas.