Tam Girls Volley to Much-Improved First Half

It's not often that a below-.500 record represents a huge turnaround, but for the Tam High girls' volleyball team, there was nowhere to go but up.

After a 2009 season that featured only one win, an 0-10 record in the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) and five consecutive losses on its home floor, the 2010 squad has turned it around. Following the Nor-Cal Invitational tournament Saturday, the Red-tailed Hawks's record stands at 7-8 overall and 1-1 in MCAL play so far this season.

The key, according to coach Casey Mondragon, has been continuity and experience.

Although the Hawks lost a number of players from last year's squad, including seniors Jessica Floum, Samantha Wyn, Kristen Jensen, and Kenzie Schewitzer, seven varsity players returned from last year's team. They are led by captains Aubrey McKinney, a junior setter, and Karleen Schuldt, a senior outside hitter, along with a number of emerging young players.

In addition to McKinney and Schuldt, returning players include sophomore middle hitter Jenna May, junior Lizzy Benson junior opposite hitter Elisa Velasquez and junior right side hitter Kate Gough.Sophomores Clare Geyer and Shoshana Herzog are hoping to gain some valuable experience in hopes of leading the team's frontline next year, while Allie Hoog is the lone freshman on the squad.

"The team is a lot more ambitious than it was last year. We're more confident in our abilities," Schudlt said. "We want to win, and we want to show everybody that Tam is no longer a team you can beat easily."

There have already been several highlights along the way, including a 3-1 win over Petaluma in which McKinney and Hoog dishing out a combined 22 asists, while Schuldt racked up 9 kills before limping off with an ankle injury.

In a 3-0 win over San Marin, Schuldt registered 16 kills and five aces, while McKinney had 23 assists and 5 aces. Tam also got six kills from Herzog. In a 3-0 loss to Justin Siena Friday, Schuldt had 28 kills and McKinney dished out 30 assists as Tam dropped three very tight sets.

The bottom line, Mondragon said, is effort.

"Nobody will lose forever, nobody will win forever," he said. "Effort always has to be present."