By Stephen Glover
For the Call

After posting a record of 13-13-1 last season, the Oakville Senior High varsity girls’ volleyball team is looking to have a breakout year.

“We have quite a few players coming back this year,” Oakville head coach Kristina Kanallakan said. “We’re looking very solid, and now we’re just trying to put together the most competitive team possible.”

Kanallakan believes that while the Tigers have a plethora of talent at each position, the key to success this season is for Oakville to play as a team unit.

“We really have to play well as a team,” Kanallakan said. “We have to be a unit that works well together and do whatever it takes for the benefit of the team.”

Returning to the Tigers this season is junior setter Julia Klump, who was a captain on last season’s squad and is one of the cornerstones to Oakville’s success this season. In 2017, Klump racked up a team- leading 363 assists along with 209 digs, 86 kills, 18 aces and 16 blocks.

“Julia was our captain last year, and she really runs the team on the court,” Kanallakan said. “She busts her butt, and the girls really look up to her. She’s a very precise and calculated player. And I’m looking for her to lead this team to the next level.”

At the outside hitter slot for Oakville are junior Emily Schellhase and sophomore Regina Elguezabal. Schellhase led the Tigers with 151 kills while also tallying 206 digs, 25 aces and 12 blocks.

“This is Emily’s third year on the varsity, and every year she gets stronger and faster,” Kanallakan said.

Elguezabal was also lethal on the outside with 128 kills, 204 digs, 21 aces and nine blocks.

“Regina plays all the way around for us,” Kanallakan said.

Other players to keep an eye on are junior middle hitter Angela Elguezabal, who racked up 72 kills, 29 blocks and 25 digs in just a half season due to injury, and junior defensive specialist Alexis Williams.