Warren High beach volleyball battles wind, cold in season-opening match
Warren’s Delaney Holder (right) and Izel Baltazar celebrate their match win over Millikan in their non-league girls beach volleyball match in Belmont Shore in Long Beach on Tuesday. Millikan defeated Warren, 3-2. Photo by Keith Durflinger
LONG BEACH – In the cold and very windy conditions, the Warren High School beach volleyball team battled courageously but fell just short with a 3-2 nonleague loss in the opening match of the season against host Millikan Tuesday (February 10) at the Rosies Dog Beach Courts in Long Beach.
Millikan advanced to the CIF Division 3 Championship and finished as runner ups last season.
Downey, which was competing in its second nonleague match, opened with a 3-2 win at home over Canyon of Anaheim, Monday (Feb. 9) and lost to host Long Beach Poly, 5-0, Tuesday (Feb. 10).
Under the guidance of varsity coach and Warren alum Kendall Sonico, the Bears are off to start another season.
“Coaching beach volleyball here feels a bit like coming home— just with more sunscreen and sand,” said Sonico, who also coaches the frosh-soph team and assists on varsity during the indoor season. “This is my third-year coaching beach volleyball and my fifth-year coaching and being part of the volleyball program overall at Warren.”
Sonico was a DIII athlete at Kean University in New Jersey, where she played indoor all four years while earning a degree in International Business.
“I’ve seen first-hand how powerful these experiences can be,” added Sonico. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, but we’re focused on what’s ahead. This group is motivated, energetic, and ready to compete—and if last season taught us anything, it’s that every point matters, and this team is always up for the fight.”
The varsity roster includes nine seniors, three juniors, three sophomores, and one freshman. “It’s a group that brings a strong mix of leadership, experience, and fresh energy,” Sonico said.
Assisting Sonico, along with their duties with the boys indoor team in the spring, is Scott Lane (Head Indoor coach) and Jessie Holder.
“I know they aren’t with me out there every day, but working with them in indoor and having them as a support system is greatly appreciated,” Sonico said. “Coaching with coach Lane and coach Holder has been great these past years and happy that we work well as a team.”
In the match against Millikan, which was played on the beach with multiple schools competing against each other, the 1’s (Delaney Holder/Izel Baltazar) won their match 21-14, 21-12 along with the 5’s (Delilah Serrano/Kamila Pelayo), 26-24, 21-17.
Losing in straight sets were the 2’s (Annamarie Ramirez/Amanda Mota), 5-21, 11-21, 3’s (Avery Lorberter/Nalah Harris), 13-21, 8-21 and 4’s (Anida Krnic/Daisy Gonzalez), 14-21, 17-21.
“It was different,” said Holder of the cold and wind. “We never played under these circumstances. It changed how we would serve and how high we would pass and set each other. The ball would move a lot more than usual.”
Baltazar added, “We kind of used the wind to our advantage too,” she said. “They (Millikan) were good and very smart in how they swung. We were able to read them.”
Baltazar, who has been on the varsity for four years, also said of the team this coming season, “I think we’re definitely stronger and I think we’re going to do very good this season and will continue training and continue doing our very best.”
Last season, the team advanced to the quarterfinals in CIF Division 3 and came within two points of advancing to the semifinals.
With the score tied, 2-2, they lost in the fifth set by two points to Campbell Hall.
All of the beach players also play indoor volleyball.
“The seniors have helped set the tone for the program, modeling commitment and resilience, while the younger players continue to step up and rise to the challenge that beach volleyball demands,” Sonico said. “I’m grateful to work with athletes who care deeply about improving and competing the right way.
“Our beach program has continued to grow each season, both in numbers and in results. We currently have 34 girls in the program. Last season marked another big step forward as we advanced to the quarterfinals, where we battled Campbell Hall in a hard-fought match. While the loss was tough, it was also a clear reminder of how far this program has come—each year, we’ve moved further in the playoffs, and that steady progress is something the girls and I take great pride in.”
What they said:
Kendall Sonico, coach: “There was a lot of wind with probably 10 to 15 miles per hour wind. We don’t have this environment around us back home and aren’t used to the wind.
“Under these conditions, I think we did pretty well. It’s still the first match of the season and this is a test of the work that we have put in the last two months.
“In beach you only have two (players) and the way you strategize is do the personalities clash, do the skills clash. Are they offensively strong or are they defensively strong.
“I am very fortunate to have a freshman (Delaney Holder) on the top team, along with my senior Izel (Baltazar), so that is a great mix and they deserve to be the No. 1’s. I can’t wait for the rest of the season and what’s to come.”
Avery Lorberter, SR: “The wind is very strong here and we’re not used to playing at the beach. We had a lot of difficulty, but we got used to it, but we lost by more than we should have.
I started playing with (my partner) Nalah Harris this season.
“Honestly, (playing beach volleyball) it’s really difficult, because it’s not as easy to read as if you’re playing indoor volleyball. With only two players on the court at one time, it’s difficult because we have to cover short, deep and the corners and the wind also plays a really big part in it too.
“Mindset plays a really big role in your playing and how you do it. Also, ball control is really big, especially with the wind.”
Anida Krnic, SR: “It was pretty hard with the wind. Practicing at Warren, we really don’t get a lot of wind, because there is a lot of buildings around and they kind of block the wind. Coming out to the beach here it’s a good experience for us because it gets us a lot more used to playing in a more open environment. Beach is very hard, but it is very fun.”
Daisy Gonzalez, SR: “The first set we were just adjusting to the wind and still figuring out how to work with the wind. The second set we did better.
“In indoor we have six people on the team, and everybody has their own area to take care of and here (beach VB) we have to be aware of everything around the court and just not one specific place.
Esther Flores, SR assistant coach/manager: “I played my freshman year and my sophomore year I became the manager. I see a lot of great girls and a lot of potential for sure. Coach is really good on bringing that out of them. I encourage them and it’s good to see how much they grow over time. I see how much the girls grow and the connection they have with each other.”
Downey defeats Canyon, 3-2; LB Poly 5, Downey 0
In the win over Canyon, the No. 2’s (Alyssa Urita, SR and Jannin Vilchis, SR) won in three sets, along with the No. 4’s (Sienna Llamas, SR and Elizabeth Aguilar, SR), who won in straight sets, 2-0. The No. 3’s pair (Kani Long, SO and Nadia Lopez, SR) clinched the win for the Vikings.
“We have a great group that loves to compete,” Downey Beach Volleyball coach Shawn Patchell said. “It’s a great group of freshmen and are really pushing our seniors. Our challenge matches in practice have been really spirited and fun. It was a huge win over Anaheim, since we lost to them last year.
“Poly was better in the wind and at home. We are spoiled at home with buildings as wind breakers, so it was good experience to play in the wind and cold. We beat them 5-0 last year, so they were ready for us this season.”
Poly went on to win the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 Championship.
The scheduled pairs for Lakewood (Feb. 12) were No. 1s Urita/Vilchis, Camila Ramirez and Denyse Gonzalez will be No. 2s. Long and Lopez are No. 3s, Aguilar and Llamas are No. 4s and freshmen Hannah Park and Alyssa Leal will be No. 5 pairs.
Briana Nunez was the alternate and senior Alizze Garcia is out sick.
“We have a great group that loves to compete” Patchell said. “It’s a great group of freshmen who are really pushing our seniors. Our challenge matches in practice have been really spirited and fun. The girls are really fun and positive this year.”