Balance will be key for the Lindbergh Flyers volleyball squad in 2024.
Following an 11-17-2 record, head coach Atom Zuniga will look to his returning athletes to take leadership roles.
“Our primary goal is to establish a good connection and balance between our strong leadership, coming in the form of nine seniors, with a highly talented group of younger athletes,” Zuniga said. “Our offense is looking faster and stronger than it has been in the past, and we should have more options to make our style of play more dynamic than it has been in the past.”
Returning for Lindbergh this season will be senior setter Lily Breed, senior utility attacker Ellie Huckstep, senior Grace Watts, who was a defensive specialist for the Flyers, and sophomore Marlee Steiner, a player that Zuniga said forced herself into the starting lineup with her play as a freshman.
“Steiner made an immediate impact in the starting lineup as a freshman last season,” he said. “Huckstep was our second leading attacker last season, and Watts contributed her sophomore and junior years.”
Steiner, a sophomore middle, was one of a small handful of athletes across the country who was invited to the US National Team’s Development Program this summer. There, she trained with some of the best players and coaches in the country.
Other seniors who will play key roles this season are Grace Breed, Gina Rogers, Audrey Forhy, Cathryn Baldwin, Jenna Abusharbain and Katelyn Swift.
“These seniors bring value to our team on and off the court through high-level play and positive leadership,” Zuniga said.
Freshman Gillian Pfieffer will also be a key contributor this season. Pfieffer had some success over the summer, competing at the national level.
Zuniga said the Flyers’ strength will be their middle attackers.
“They are young but highly trained and highly talented,” he said. “They are supported by a strong and mature group of experienced upperclassmen as well, which will prove to be beneficial for all.”
The maturity of the upperclassmen will be crucial for a team that graduated 10 seniors from last season.
“It’s never easy to graduate 10 seniors,” Zuniga said. “So figuring out how to plug all of those gaps will take some time, but we are confident we can move pieces around until we find the right combination.”
While there will be some rebuilding this season, Zuniga is confident the team will experience some success. New additions to the team include junior defensive specialist Kirsten Gororo, junior setter, Lucille Dineen, and sophomore defensive specialist Lily Bertarelli.
“It will be more rebuilding than building, but we look to continue to implement the ideals and culture we’ve been cultivating over the past few years,” he said. “We know that with our athletes’ hard work, they will find success.”