By Megan Guerrero

The girls volleyball season is up and running this September, with league games beginning this week. The Granada Hills Charter (GHC) girls volleyball team has been renowned in their league for their perseverance, strength, and competitive quality as a team. This year though, they’re ready to take their performance up to the next level. 

The team has undergone multiple changes from last year. Long-time girls volleyball coach Tom Harp will only be coaching the boys team this year and entrusted his position to Coach Cheyenne Bledsoe. Bledsoe was previously an assistant coach for the team, and this is her first season being head coach. With her previous experience working with GHC, the transition was easier for the volleyball team. 

“I think our coach is really considerate,” said junior Amber Velasquez, a member of the varsity volleyball team. “She wants the best for us and wants to push our team to where we can be. She knows we can get there and trusts us.”

With Bledsoe pushing the team to their fullest potential, the girls on the team all have their own shared and individual goals, like ultimately rising up the ranks to get to California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championships.

But to make it to championships, the team needs to work even harder to beat the competition, like their long-time volleyball rivals Taft High School and Birmingham High School. 

“As a team goal, one thing that we want to do is beat Birmingham because we lost to them last year, and then make it to CIF championships,” junior Alex Cuan said. 

Training has been an important part of the skill-building process for everyone on the team. The girls practice every day for two hours, following Coach Bledsoe’s practice plans to improve their expertise. Along with regular team practice, they also compete in non-league practice games with other volleyball teams in the area, so players can create an established bond with their teammates and understand their chemistry. 

The team also has developed their bonds with each other off the court, on a personal level as well. Whether they’re having watch parties with each other in their free time or grabbing dinner together, their vibrant friendships always shine through. 

“We’re all really relatable people,” senior Skylar Shipper said. “You can just tell them anything and they always know how to put a smile on my face. We communicate well both on and off the court, and we’re really close to the point where we can discuss our personal matters.”