Sports 

Senior Captains Lead Volleyball in 2009 Campaign

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Twin pillars Sarah Amos PI ’10 (Outside Hitter) and Dana Kittrelle PO ’10 (Middle Hitter) captain this year’s volleyball team. Both have been playing since the ninth grade, and have developed a strong love for the game. This season, they lead a dynamic group of women that has fought for a 2-2 SCIAC record at press time, including a tense 3-2 (15-25, 25-21, 29-27, 22-25, 15-11) victory over CMS. Kittrelle, a San Diego native, believed that she originally only made her high school team because she was tall and noted that when she started playing, she sometimes struggled to get the ball over the net.Over time, Kittrelle learned to harness her height to create an effective front-court attack. She continued to play volleyball for the rest of her high school career and played on club teams in the off-season, primarily the Coast Volleyball Club. As a result of playing year-round throughout high school, Kittrelle made it to the D-III college level, and has been playing for the Sagehens ever since.Like Kittrelle, Amos started playing organized volleyball her freshman year of high school in her hometown of Palos Verdes Estates. Amos was captain of her high school’s varsity team for all four years, and also played on multiple club teams in the South Bay, including the Big Dog Volleyball Club, Club X, and Cal juniors in Huntington Beach. With her club teams, Amos traveled to tournaments in Reno, Las Vegas, and Washington. During her senior year of high school, Amos’s hard work paid off when she was recruited to play volleyball for the Sagehens.Both Amos and Kittrelle said they are excited to play their senior season out. Kittrelle notes that the highlight of her volleyball career has been “sweeping CMS in our gym last year” as well as “beating them in their own gym this year” at last week’s game. She went on to say her favorite part of volleyball is “the feeling of connecting perfectly with the setter on a quick set and hitting hard.” Thus far this year, Kittrelle is fourth on the team with 75 kills, much of them on connections with teammate Kenzie Aries PI ’12.Amos said her love of the game centers on the communication necessary for a successful volleyball squad. The best feeling, Amos said, is “when the team is doing really well, we are communicating, putting balls away, playing awesome defense, and the intensity on our side of the court is unbeatable.”After college, Amos plans to continue playing volleyball as much as possible. Through her work as an assistant coach at her old high school, she is able to continue her love of volleyball. After college, Amos said she hopes to find some adult leagues to play in. Kittrelle, on the other hand, said she is not yet sure whether she will continue playing volleyball after college. For her, it depends on what she is doing and where she is living.Kittrelle believes that this year’s team dynamic is “one of its greatest strengths.”“We all get along very well,” Kittrelle said. “We don’t really get negative or defeated if we are losing, which I think will take us far this season.”Amos added that she wishes the team was a bit louder to give the players better communication and a greater intensity that “usually helps us gain momentum and win.”For team bonding, the women have dinner together before games and after practices. By bonding off the court, the women become more comfortable with each other, which leads to a better team dynamic on the court. The Sagehens have staged trips to Yogurtland and Chipotle, as well as to football games. The team hopes the combination of tradition and a strong on-court dynamic will help lead P-P to the NCAAs.The Sagehens play La Verne Friday at 7:30 p.m. in a game that should be close and exciting.

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