Things have come full circle for the Anzar High volleyball team. After struggling for the last two years, the Hawks have showed the 2015 season is going to be a different story. Anzar improved to 4-1 after a five-game win over host North Salinas on Sept. 17.
The win had special meaning for Anzar senior opposite Yesenia Rios, who as a seventh grader vividly recalls watching Anzar play at North Salinas and marveling at the talent that was on display.
“North Salinas was one of the top teams at the time, and I remember just thinking how amazing these players were,” Rios said. “I never imagined myself as one of them or being in their position, and it was pretty amazing to be playing in that same gym after all these years and to win on the same court.”
Rios was instrumental in the victory over North Salinas—the Hawks took Game 5, 15-12. North Salinas was leading 10-9 when Anzar coach Tom Schatz inserted Rios into the game, and she promptly produced a block that sprung the decisive finishing run.
“Before I went into the game, coach pulled me over and told me to get a block on No. 10 because she was their best hitter,” Rios said. “On the first play, I stuffed her, and it was a great feeling.”
In 2012, Anzar went 23-6 overall and 12-2 in the Mission Trail League. However, the Hawks followed that season up with just two wins in 2013 and a 10-17 campaign a year ago. Anzar returned the majority of its players from last year’s squad, and the difference has been stark.
“We are not a dominant force on offense or defense, but the girls are playing great together, and that counts for a lot,” Schatz said. “The girls’ resilience so far has been incredible—they don’t give up and that’s great to see. Their level of maturity is so much better now than it was two years ago.”
The team’s chemistry has improved because a number of the girls start the club volleyball season immediately after the high school season ends. Eleven of the 13 Anzar players on the roster played club this past year, including several for San Juan Bautista-based Faultline.
Schatz coached the 14 and 16-and-under squads this past season for Faultline, but he said “there’s no expectation or demand on the girls to play on Faultline just because I coach there.” Anzar returns two of its top players in junior outside hitter Katia Dizon and senior setter Sam Bleisch.
Dizon is one of the team’s go-to hitters, a player who can elevate and finish points at a high level. Raw and gifted as a freshman, Dizon’s game has developed to the point where she can decipher the defense and adjust her swings accordingly. Bleisch and Dizon were partners this past summer during the beach volleyball season, improving their chemistry in the process.
Due to the team’s improved cohesiveness, the Hawks are playing at a much higher level than a year ago.
“I don’t remember last year our game being this fast paced,” Dizon said. “We’re communicating well and it shows.”
Said Bleisch: “We’re running more combo plays and I feel like we’re getting stronger.”
Just like her beach playing partner Dizon, Bleisch has come a long way. Bleisch only started playing organized volleyball in her freshman year, and now she directs and controls the tempo of the Anzar offense with precision. Bleisch has gone from a wide-eyed freshman to a seasoned senior.
“When I was a freshman we had a really strong varsity team and I was so scared to play,” she said. “Every time I went to the gym, I was not confident at all. It took me a while to develop instincts to play the game, but now I don’t have to think about it as much and I can just go out and be relaxed.”
Senior Charlotte Andersen has also been instrumental as a libero, keeping rallies alive by digging up balls that would normally drop for a point. Junior Christina Rosa gives the team depth at setter, and freshmen Peyton Masuen and Shellyann Ford are the future of the program.
“They’re not getting a ton of playing time, but they’re taking advantage of every opportunity,” Schatz said. “We need to have the underclassmen ready to go next year since we’ll be losing a lot of seniors.”
Senior outside hitter Carly Offerman has been a potent attacker who has excelled on her serve. In a four-game win over Monterey on Sept. 10, Anzar was trailing 17-9 in Game 4 when Offerman won the team 11 consecutive points on her serve en route to a 25-22 Game 4 victory.
A setter can often be the connecting piece for a team, and Bleisch certainly carries that role for Anzar. Bleisch’s connection with Dizon and Offerman make for a terrific offensive attack, and her continued support of her teammates has done wonders.
“Sam is one of my biggest motivators, and I don’t know what I would’ve done without her,” Rios said. “She’s been a great friend throughout high school.”
As a student trustee for Anzar, Bleisch attends all of the Aromas-San Juan Unified School Board Meetings, and at times it makes for a hurried situation. On Sept. 9, Bleisch was in a board meeting before rushing over to Watsonville to join the team’s match against St. Francis Central Coast Catholic.
Bleisch got to the match in the second set, and the team eventually won in five. Bleisch isn’t the only Anzar player involved in civic/community works. Rios is the chair of the San Juan Youth Commission, helping to publicize events in San Juan Bautista and the surrounding area.
Off to its best start in three years, Anzar has a goal of a top-three finish in the underrated Mission Trail League.
“I’d love to see us finish among the top three in league and make it to the semis or finals of our division in the CCS playoffs,” Schatz said. “It’s certainly something we can reach for.”
The players believe in their abilities as well.
“I’m playing with another talented group of young ladies,” Rios said. “We’re better than we could’ve ever imagined.”
