Walking into the Pojoaque Valley High School volleyball program as a new head coach would usually mean becoming part of a glorious and winning machine.
For Joseph Rodriguez, his appointment as the leader of the Elkettes has a little bit more meaning behind it as he is tasked in getting the girls back to the state tournament after last year’s 10-11 mark and 4-4 district ledger that saw Pojoaque denied of another appearance on the season’s final weekend.
Rodriguez and his girls begin their first campaign, in his new role, together at 6 p.m. on Aug. 29 at Albuquerque’s Sandia Prep after he was elevated from his role as an assistant.
“We do have the defense and we are very good serving wise,” Rodriguez said. “Our hitters are not very big so running a quick system will help that out to beat a bigger block. It’s a process.”
Senior libero Alyssa Rodriguez and junior middle Ashten Martinez are hoping that things turn around behind a good defense that could support their play at the net.
“We definitely improved throughout the summer in open gym,” Alyssa Rodriguez said. “The new kids are stepping up and wanting to do better and succeed as a team.
The (front row) has improved in getting up and blocking the ball. They are getting us enough touch.”
Martinez brings decent height at 5-10-plus, but the squad is overall not towering.
“At the net we are doing well and they have us on these exercises to help us jump higher and we are doing pretty good,” Martinez said. “(Last year) our block was not great. We got up, but we didn’t block all of the time. (They are working) on the timing to get up on the ball, where it’s going to be and how they hit. We have 100 percent trust in our back row. They are just great at what they do.”
Both girls agree that the defense is maintaining the ability to keep rallies alive and their passing and hitting are working out so far in the preseason.
“It can be a really good season, it just depends on how hard we work and how much we want it,” Martinez said.
Both girls acknowledge the new district, 2-4A, will be a challenge with Española Valley, Los Alamos, Moriarty and Taos High School to contend with on a nightly basis.
“I would put Moriarty up top with Los Alamos and Española Valley in the mix,” Alyssa Rodriguez said. “Taos will be tough as well.”
The team will attack the game with some good, athletic hitters that can “jump through the gym” but still they need to learn the techniques of hitting while experienced setters in the fold should help get the offense rolling in time, according to Joseph Rodriguez.
He learned the sport through osmosis watching his five daughters play and also playing volleyball himself when he moved to the area.
Then he took it to the coaching level over the past few years, working at local clubs and learning the finite parts of volleyball.
“I started working with local clubs in Los Alamos and now in Santa Fe as well,” he said. “It’s about getting them competing every day because you can’t take a day off with other teams working to be better than you.”
Jospeh Rodriguez can rely on five other seniors that should rise up in key moments as he can rely on Adrianna Quintana (setter), Makenzie Quintana (hitter), Star Torres (defensive specialist), Sara Vigil (defensive specialist) and Camile Cordova (hitter).
Juniors Espy Torres (hitter) and Mikayla Padilla (defensive specialist) could also provide some key play in a pinch, while sophomores Leah Trujillo (hitter), Alicia Quintana (hitter) and Ayanna Aguirre (setter) are looking to make a mark along with freshman Taylor Quintana (defensive specialist).