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2008
By ERIC BACA
Valley Press Staff Writer
California City High School took the court at the Mojave Invitational and prepared to unveil the first-ever Ravens girls volleyball team.
The day was exciting as it was nerve-racking for the freshman-dominated team.
Just the day before, members of the Ravens were scrambling to assemble make-shift uniforms in case the ones ordered didn't come in on time.
Their arrival quelled a portion of the pressure. That was until they learned who they would be facing in their opener - Mojave, a team that a few Cal City sophomores played on their freshman year.
"It was a lot of pressure playing (Mojave)," Ravens sophomore and co-captain Danielle Whittey said. "We had a lot of friends on that team, but we played them like any other team. We didn't really mind playing them."
The Ravens went on to impress the remaining 14-team field that September weekend, receiving several compliments from their varsity competition and provided a challenge perhaps not readily expected from a junior varsity team.
"Being the first volleyball team, they have unnecessary pressures that most teams don't have," Ravens co-coach Rachel Ketchell said. "Our first game against Mojave was pretty stressed, but that was our shining moment, the Mojave tournament. We didn't win one game, I don't think, but the way they played and how we did was really good."
By season's end, the Ravens had earned more than just kudos from their opposition. The Ravens earned third place in the silver bracket of the Crescenta Valley tournament last weekend in what was their final competition of the season. Ketchell and co-coach Jean Mullenix couldn't help but be positive.
"I am extraordinarily proud of the team," Ketchell said. "It was a great season. Every season has its roller coaster, and we had our same thing, but honestly, to see a first-year program to do as good as we did, it's something we are very proud of."
Officially, Cal City ended with a 4-4 record, but the mark is of little importance to the Ravens, who supplanted the typical emphasis of stats in an effort to truly enjoy their first competitive season.
"We had to have different goals because their schedule was so stacked against them," Ketchell said. "So many teams that we played had a freshman, JV and varsity team. We had to stop measuring the wins and losses. I had little perfectionists on my team this year."
"We just wanted to play the game and be part of the game and just have fun," Ravens sophomore Taylor Miller said.
More than just athletic ability, Ketchell, a 2003 Mojave graduate, said that her team's laid-back approach, at times, provided a welcomed sense of tension release.
"I had a couple of girls that were goofy in a focused way," she said. "It's the first time I've ever seen a goofy team be focused in a good way. When they relaxed a bit, they played great ball."
Like Whittey, Miller played at Mojave her freshman year. During the day, however, the two would attend Ca City. Instead of continuing at Mojave, the two wanted to be part of school history and play on one of the Ravens' inaugural sport teams.
"It got old," Whittey said of having to be bussed from Cal City to Mojave. "You get used to it, but I'm glad it's over."
The Ravens, though, are still a year off from having to commute. The completion of the Cal City gym is scheduled for the beginning of next season, which forced the Ravens to practice and host their matches at Cal City Middle School. Having to wait for the middle school team to finish their practice, the Ravens were able to hold a near two-hour study hall, in fulfillment of the school's athletic policies.
The team didn't seem to mind.
"We didn't lose one player to grades," Whittey said. "That's really good."
As much as the Ravens are looking back, they can't help but look ahead. Cal City will enter the High Desert League next season and will field a varsity and junior varsity team.
Mojave, a team that Ketchell called Cal City's "sister school," is headed to the Desert Mountain League.
"Coming from this year, we got a lot of compliments saying how much we have improved, and I hope the word spreads to next year," Miller said. "We have a really good team and we worked so hard to get where we are and we are going to be (competitive) next year."
Ketchell said she predicts bigger turnouts for the upcoming season, suggesting that the Ravens haven't even tapped the hidden resources within Cal City.
"I think there is more talent out there," Ketchell said. "Maybe not so much in volleyball, but in just pure athleticism."
With the first Cal City graduation two years away, the Ravens will temporarily avoid a reality facing many of their future HDL rivals: losing seniors. But after a season full of surprises, the Ravens are set for an immediate impact next year.
"I think teams are going to look at us and say, 'Wow, we need to work hard,'" Whittey said. "I am pretty confident that we'll be pretty good. We'll make them work. It's not going to be easy."
