Still new to Moorpark College’s athletics department, the beach volleyball team is back for their second season.
Accepted as both an NCAA Division I and II sport as of Aug. 2011, athletic departments were all simply waiting for the trickle-down effect to finally reach their schools.
For Moorpark College, the green light for the sport came in 2018 and although that may seem like a long time for a semi-coastal town, Santa Barbara City College only just officially sanctioned the sport for this spring season.
The struggles for this season began rather immediately for the team as rainy weather encompassed Southern California. Because there is no indoor sand court for the team to turn to, practices have been difficult to schedule.
Even though the team could practice in the gym, the players would lack the grip of the sand that makes moving and jumping more difficult. It would also lack the wind which is a huge factor in outdoor sports.
The other option would be for the team to practice in the rain, but then the players would risk getting sick from the cold.
“Games go on rain or shine,” Head Coach Adam Black said. “[When it comes to practices] it depends on how much we can improve [in those circumstances].”
With games beginning Feb. 15, Black and his players need to feel comfortable and confident in each other and their plan of attack against Riverside College.
“[We feel] pretty good, mostly just excited,” said 19-year-old student athlete Lexie Wolf. “It’s a completely different team, but [we] have good chemistry.”
With some sun in the near future, Black should finally be seeing some proper practice days available for his team. Unfortunately, it should be noted that the weather is not set to warm up anytime soon, making it difficult for the sand to dry.
This could potentially put the team back in the same situation as before, with nowhere to practice. With three different practice locations to choose from, hopefully the team can find one dry enough to play on.
Black can be found coaching the team at the Dos Vientos Park in Newbury Park on Tuesdays, Runkle Canyon Park in Simi Valley on Thursdays, and San Buenaventura State Beach Park in Ventura on Fridays.
“One of the main reasons we practice at parks is because of geography,” Black said. “Moorpark is too far for people who live out here to go to the beaches [every other day].”
That being said, Black also made it a point that the team wants to practice on the beach because it is quite different than playing on the sand in a park. He wants his team accustomed to the conditions they are going to compete in so that they feel ready.
As the cloudy weather passes, Moorpark College eagerly awaits to see how the beach volleyball team is able to pull together and bring about a successful season.
“We’ll see [if we’re ready] honestly,” Whitney Guthrie, 19, a new athlete on the team this semester. “One thing our coach like to have us do is just play. Which is huge because you can do drills as much as you want, but it all comes down to playing.”
The Raiders open the season on Friday, Feb 15. against Riverside College.
The team’s season schedule can be seen here.
