The first order of business for the retooling Tologs was finding a new floor general and a finisher on the outside.
All-league libero Jenna Orlandini, Sam’s sister, has been dubbed the new setter, while sophomore Camille Coffey will move over from the middle to fill Condon’s slot.
“I’m taking my two most experienced players and trying to put them in the spots where they’re going to be the ones touching the ball the most,” said fourth-year Tologs Coach Shelli Orlandini, mom to Sam and Jenna. “We’ve got some good firepower back. Camille has improved tremendously and she’s probably gonna be just as good, if not better than Katie was on the outside.”
Junior Mary Schroeder will reprise her role in the middle and defensive specialist Connor McCracken and right side Marissa Provenzano are back for their senior years.
Last year, the Tologs counted defense and passing as two of their biggest strengths and appear to have the personnel to sustain that.
“I don’t even know if I’m going to use [a libero] because I’ve got six defensive specialists on the team this year,” Orlandini said.
Sacred Heart’s chief rival in league, and perhaps the division, will again be defending-champion Harvard-Westlake.
The Wolverines, which accounted for half of the Tologs’ six losses on the season, including the Division I-A final, defeated Sacred Heart in both league meetings last year to deny it at least a share of the league crown for the first time in five years.
Harvard-Westlake also graduated a core of seniors, however, led by middle blocker Cathryn Quinn.
The only other area squads to make the playoffs last season were Holy Family and Crescenta Valley.
