“I’m really happy that Nancy is coming back, and the girls are happy to have her back too,” said Coach Orlandini, who took over the program from Tinkham following the 2004 season.
Only one player remains from the last team that Tinkham coached at Sacred Heart, All-CIF senior setter Sam Orlandini. The synergy developed between her and senior outside hitter Katie Condon over last year’s run sets up that tandem to be a dominant offensive force from the start, but after that, the picture’s not quite as clear.
“We have two brand new middles this year, so we’re kind of rookie when it comes to that position,” said Coach Orlandini of the spots vacated by Slaught and Anderson.
Stepping into that void in the middle will be sophomore and first-year varsity player Mary Schroeder, while Winston Reynolds, a senior who played middle and right side last year, will also see time in that role. Senior Megan Meyers returns at right side and junior Jenna Orlandini will take over libero duties from Crea. Freshman Camille Coffey is expected to make an immediate impact at outside hitter.
Sacred Heart, which shared the Mission League title with Harvard-Westlake last year, begins its season Sept. 7 in the four-day Gahr Tournament.
In the Pacific League, fourth-place Crescenta Valley High was the top local team last year. This year, the Falcons will look to go further in penetrating the league’s upper echelon.
As Burroughs returns almost all of its surprising third-place squad from a year ago, and Arcadia and Pasadena are also expected to remain strong, that won’t be an easy task.
Crescenta Valley returns four seniors, led by outside hitter Maggie Rajtar.
