Rewriting history: Meet the girls volleyball team that’s taking the state by storm

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The girls high school volleyball playoffs are just around the corner. Teams across the islands are looking to lock up a spot in the state tournament.
One of these schools hails from Waimea, and they are enjoying a historic season.
Parker School is not often thought of as a volleyball juggernaut. But this year is a different story — and the Bulls are on a roll.
Former Olympian and longtime University of Hawaii at Hilo volleyball coach Sharon Peterson took over the program three years ago, and instantly laid a foundation of sound fundamentals and mental toughness.
“We are the most controlled team. We’re trying to control our thoughts, emotions, and our play. Sometimes what happens when you get on the court is that the adrenaline takes over. Sometimes you play a little bit wild, we want to always bring that down,” Peterson said.
When asked about Peterson’s coaching style, Jalyssa Castaneda, a player and Parker School senior explained, “At first we were like ‘Oh this is a little too much,’ but as the years go on and our years on varsity, we’ve come to understand why she’s very hard on us sometimes and very intense because she just wants us to be better as a team.”
That hard work has manifested into a remarkable season. At 14-2, Parker put up its best regular season record in school history, with most of their wins coming in straight sets.
“It feels so good because I know in the past, Parker has never really been known as a sports school. We’ve always been kind of like the underdogs, always under the radar. It felt really good when other teams started taking us seriously,” said Sophia Scholz, a Parker School Junior who’s also on the team.
Solid team chemistry will be key as the Bulls head into the postseason, as they look to end this already special year with another milestone: the program’s first-ever trip to the state tournament.
“When we’re starting to have fun on the court, and not being so down on ourselves and being intimidated by other teams. The camaraderie on our team is really strong,” said Castaneda.
The remarkable nature of this group is certainly not lost on Coach Peterson.
“In all the years I’ve coached, this one is one of my favorite stories up to now. I love this group. I’ve enjoyed every minute. they’re fun to coach, they’re open to learning and they just have a good sense of humor,” she said.
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