Head Coach: Manny Steffen
Last year’s record: 14-12
Recap: Last season, the team lost in the second round of CCS, falling short to El Camino High School. They placed sixth in the El Camino Athletic League
Key Matchups: Wilcox, Gunn
Star Players: senior Anjali Sahni, junior Payton Steffen, junior Emma Williams
Key losses to graduation: Riley Adler, Adrienne Chung, Urvi Iyer, Lilianna Liu and Emily Rich
League: El Camino Athletic League
Prognosis:
On Nov. 29, the team faced Los Gatos for its first preseason game. Despite losing 52-39, the game was a valuable experience for the team. By competing against a challenging opponent that made it to the first round of Division II CCS last winter, the team saw gaps they will need to fill early in the year.
After losing five seniors to graduation last June, the now 10-player team consists of two freshmen, two sophomores, three juniors, two seniors and an additional freshman practice player who usually plays games with JV.
This year, the team will look to senior captain Anjali Sahni and junior captain Payton Steffen for leadership. Sahni totaled 11 rebounds against Aptos on Dec. 2 and Steffen scored 17 points against Los Gatos.
On Nov. 14, the team traveled to Half Moon Bay on a retreat lasting from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. It included activities like beach yoga and team dinners in order to build team dynamic before the season started. With the majority of the team being underclassmen, the retreat was a great way for the team to get to know each other on a deeper level.
“We already have good team chemistry and I think the annual retreat is really going to bring us together,” senior Anjali Sahni said.
For Sahni, most of the original teammates she has played with since her freshman year have graduated, so it’s a big change for her and other seniors. But she is also excited for a new season with a new team.
Freshman Kimaya Grover also had positive things to say about her first retreat. For her, the retreat made her feel more comfortable with the team.
“Everyone was really nice and I felt really welcomed as a freshman on the varsity team where everyone already knows each other,” Grover said.
This season, head coach Manny Steffen has also taken a special interest toward mental health and building the confidence of athletes. Recently, the team met with André Chapman, a professional mental health coach, who walked the team through goals for the season regarding core values.
“I’m excited to continue competing and I know no matter what happens, we’ll be supporting each other through everything,” sophomore Kaili Ljepava said.
