A young Linfield volleyball squad is ready to pounce on their opportunities ahead of the new season.
 
Coming into the 2023-24 season, the Wildcats enter with three upperclassmen. The rest of the roster is made up of five sophomores and eight freshmen.
 
Under fourth-year head coach Haley Domeck, the Wildcats have seen steady improvement and this season hopes to be no different with the team aiming to catch some opponents by surprise.
 
"We're at a really exciting point in the program," Domeck said. "We've had a lot of new freshmen come in and work their tails off this preseason. That has been really exciting."
 
Replacing top-end talent
The Wildcats have lost some key players from the conclusion of last season. Outside hitters Raelynn Hammock and Ellie Mead were among the best hitters statistically in the conference and leave big shoes to fill. However, the likes of Marina Erosa, Ryli Kalahiki and Araeya Watanabe project to be a few leaders to fill those voids.
 
Erosa finished third on the team in total points with 154.5 behind only Hammock and Mead. Erosa made her presence felt at the net, finishing with 139 kills and 2.14 kills per set to rank second on the squad. Erosa must work her way back to full health after having an injury this offseason but the senior has shown leadership in other ways as she continues works her way back.
 
Kalahiki stepped right in as a freshman and made the most of her opportunities on the court from her right-side hitting position and seeing some time as a defensive specialist. She tallied 60.5 points and 35 kills in 22 matches. Her hitting prowess wasn't her only weapon though, as she finished third on the team in serving aces with 20 and also chipped in defensively with 127 digs.
 
Watanabe found success in the 12 matches she played, finishing fifth on the team in points per set with 1.59 and fourth in kills per set with 1.57. The 5-foot-7 Salem, Ore., native aims to build on those strong numbers and continue her strong production across a full slate of games this year.
 
Returning impact players
With the graduation of Aylea Dixon, a big void in the setter position now looks to be filled by Claire Johnson. Johnson appeared in 14 matches as a transfer and split time as the setter behind Dixon. In her time on the floor, Johnson totaled 43 assists and chipped in 10 serving aces. Now Johnson has the opportunity to be the facilitator of the Linfield offense.
 
As defensive specialists and liberos are seemingly everywhere at once, Paige Richards lived that definition last season. The returning junior filled the stat sheet with 47 assists, 17 serving aces and 256 total digs on defense ranking among the top 10 of the Northwest Conference. Another standout defensively from last season was sophomore Sydney Downing. In 20 matches, Downing served 14 aces, totaled 80 digs and tallied 1.29 digs per set. The returning duo provides a steady defensive presence for a youthful 'Cats side.
 
Influx of youth
A familiar face who saw limited game action last season but is looking to take a step up this season is Lexi Correa. Appearing in nine matches last season, she accounted for three kills and 11 blocks and should push for a starting front-row position. Ainsley Medina jumped in five matches a season ago and Anela Madarang-Brandes saw most of her game action as a junior varsity player.
 
Domeck brought in eight new freshmen with most of them bringing in a healthy amount of competition for the returners and champing at the bit to get playing time.
 
"We have a lot of new faces in the gym," Domeck said. "It has been really fun to get to know each other on and off the court and how we want to compete."
 
Paige Pa'aluhi from Miliani, Hawaii, is only listed at 5-5 on the roster, but her jumping ability and athleticism make her a contender for a starting middle blocker spot. Margarita Banuelos from Auburn Wash., is in line to chip in as a setter for the 'Cats this year.
 
Other contending newcomers include Katelin Sindelar from Firestone, Colo., and Nora Myer from Redmond, Wash., who are both listed at 5-8 but have every intention to contribute to the team right away.
 
Year in review
 
Linfield finished the season last year with an 8-14 record and 4-12 mark in conference play.
 
Under Domeck, the defense has been steady and last year finished among the top four in the NWC blocks per game. Where the 'Cats need to make the biggest improvement is on offense. Linfield ranked in the bottom third of hitting percentage, assists and kills, are all categories the Wildcats must to improve upon.
 
Linfield opens the season on the road in Quincy, Mass., where they play a total of three matches in the Eastern Nazarene Invitational. The 'Cats open play against William Smith at Sept. 1, then finish the tournament against Western New England and Eastern Nazarene on Sept. 2.
 
"For us, it will be identifying what our style of volleyball is going to be and how we're going to play that," Domeck said. "Playing teams outside of our conference and region is really going to help us with that."