On the eve of the season, El Camino girls volleyball coach Alex Pukahi looked down his roster sheet at what was missing: captains Makayla Boone and Kaylani Feliciano-Taele, both graduates of last year’s 30-13 Valley League championship team.
Then there was where the Wildcats were going.
The Wildcats moved up from Division IV to Division II two years ago and jumped from the Valley League to the Palomar League this season.
Pukahi expected a step back.
“We’ve been replacing some important players from last year’s team. I kind of thought we would be rebuilding, maybe a little above .500, and not where we’re at right now. We’ve moved up so the level of competition that we’re playing has increased year by year,” Pukahi said.
Instead, El Camino is 23-7 after Tuesday night’s 3-0 victory at Canyon Crest Academy, 25-16, 25-13 and 25-19. The Wildcats are 3-1 in the Palomar League and sit third in the standings.
El Camino won the silver bracket at Sweetwater, finished runner-up at Mater Dei Catholic and won the Firebird Festival.
The Wildcats lost more than their two captains. They lost a four-year starting outside hitter and another player who had started the previous two years, then lost their No. 1 middle hitter for the season to a broken leg.
Those absences created opportunities for younger players.
Maia Ramirez was one of them.
The junior middle hitter spent last season on the junior varsity team before getting called up for tournaments. She eventually moved into the varsity lineup during El Camino’s CIF playoff run after injuries created an opening.
Ramirez now has 248 kills through 76 sets, second on the team behind senior Grace Houston, while hitting a team-best .342. She also leads El Camino with 50 total blocks.
“This year, she has really stepped up,” Pukahi said.
Houston has been the Wildcats’ primary offensive weapon while taking on a larger role in the back row. A four-year varsity player, she went from a spot backup to a three-rotation front-row player, then to a six-rotation player and captain this season.
She leads El Camino with 276 kills, averaging 3.6 per set.
“She’s the cannon on the team,” Pukahi said. “She’s got a powerful swing.”
Junior setter Jada Garcia has provided the stability behind them.
A varsity starter since her freshman season and last year’s league player of the year, Garcia has 624 assists, 98 aces and 203 digs this season.
“I think the one thing that’s held us steady is our setter,” Pukahi said. “I think she’s really the glue.”
Pukahi said Garcia also understands her teammates’ strengths and weaknesses and helps younger players develop within the offense.
“If you have a setter that can run your team, it’s like having a quarterback in football,” Pukahi said.
That development has come against a different level of competition than El Camino faced in previous seasons.
Once a team reaches Division I or Division II, Pukahi said, many opponents are filled with players who have been playing club volleyball since they were 8 or 9 years old.
El Camino does not have as many players with club experience.
“We don’t have a lot of kids that have the opportunity to play club, so it’s a lot of teaching them how to play volleyball from day one,” Pukahi said. “Where we’re doing basic skills and practices to teach these girls how to play volleyball, so we’re kind of a step behind.”
Fallbrook and Poway sit ahead of El Camino in the Palomar League standings, with league matches remaining before the CIF playoffs.
“My expectation before was hopefully we can win some league games,” Pukahi said. “Now I’m hoping to win league with the way we are playing.”
Remaining schedule
Oct. 2
11 a.m. — vs. Norris
2:45 p.m. — vs. Millard South
4 p.m. — vs. Snowflake
Oct. 3
TBA — Nike Tournament of Champions
TBA — Nike Tournament of Champions
TBA — Nike Tournament of Champions
TBA — Nike Tournament of Champions
Oct. 7
6 p.m. — vs. Poway
Oct. 8
6 p.m. — vs. San Pasqual
Oct. 13
6 p.m. — vs. Fallbrook
Oct. 15
4:30 p.m. — vs. Canyon Crest Academy
Oct. 20
6 p.m. — at Rancho Buena Vista
Oct. 22
6 p.m. — at Poway
