The Tea Area Titan high school volleyball team is currently 7-8 on the season, but Head Coach Kristina Westhoff is excited about the opportunity to improve and make a strong stand in the state.

“We have a lot of senior leadership on the team, we have six seniors that play on a regular basis. We have a great defensive team going on right now and our hitters are starting to step up and really take over. It’s a well-rounded team right now,” said Westhoff.

Even though the team has strong senior leadership, one younger player is making an impression on the court. Ally Kacmarynski is a sophomore at Tea and coach Westhoff is excited about what she’s seeing from her.

“Ally is a great leader on the team. She has a lot of hard work and dedication over the summer. She puts all her will into everything that she does. She’s a very well rounded athlete and it shows,” said Westhoff.

Kacmarynski currently plays three sports in high school. She plays soccer, basketball and volleyball. Kacmarynski said the biggest challenge is trying to balance soccer and volleyball, because the seasons of both sports coincide with one another.

She said, “It is a big commitment and I try to balance it out, but I end up choosing volleyball [when there’s conflict], because it’s my favorite sport.”

Kacmarynski said these sports take up time, so she had to make other arrangements to ensure her education.

“I took a study hall this year, so I could have time to do my homework and keep my grades up, so that’s nice,” said Kacmarynski.

She said the excitement she has on the volleyball court can’t be matched by anything else. Kacmarynski is already thinking of her future and continuing her athletic journey.

“I want to play in college, that’s my dream and I think it’d be a great opportunity. I just want to keep on improving and I want to go to SDSU,” said Kacmarynski.

Being a sophomore, Kacmarynski wants to enjoy her time in high school right now and cross the bridge to college when she gets to it. She said she’s currently working on getting better and being the best volleyball player she can be.

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