DOWNEY – Downey girls’ volleyball head coach Andrea Sims cruised to a San Gabriel Valley League championship last year, and this year really shouldn’t be any different with the Vikings returning so many players from last year’s squad.

When looking at the numbers for the Vikings’ volleyball squad, the numbers are absolutely staggering. Since the 2004-2005 season, the Vikings have lost only one game in SGVL play.

That lone loss came in the 2007-2008 season where they still won the SGVL title. In fact, if the Vikings can repeat what they did last year in winning a championship, they will have accomplished a feat deserving of much pomp and circumstance.

One league championship is great and something to celebrate. Back-to-back championships are definitely something to brag about. A 3-peat is a dynasty and worthy of a victory cigar.

If the Vikings lock down a championship this year, it will be their sixth straight SGVL championship, a dynasty indeed.

The Vikings this year will only have lost a handful of players from last year’s team but will be returning man key players to the mix.

The biggest returning player is outside hitter Megan Kirkpatrick. Last year, Kirkpatrick led the team in kills (86), aces (33), digs (114), and receptions (58).

Also returning is setter Debra Lovell. The senior setter last year led her team with 125 assists. Lovell is also the only captain from the team last year returning.

In league, the only team the Vikings could encounter in their march to an unprecedented sixth-straight championship could be the Warren Bears.

The Bears last year were the only league foe that pushed the Vikings to five sets. In the only other meeting between the two teams, the Vikings were dominate and won in three sets.

While the Vikings seem invincible, they are far from that outside the comfort of the SGVL. The Vikings, undefeated in league, are a combined six games under .500 in the past three seasons outside of their division.

Also, in the playoffs, the Vikings have only made it out of the second round once in five years.

This year the Vikings look for things to be different. Their first game is at El Rancho on Sept. 17 at 3:15 p.m.

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Published: September 4, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 20