The Willow Glen Resident

Willow Glen girls' volleyball on the road to a comeback

By Cecily Barnes

After countless years as San Jose Unified's losing team, the Willow Glen High School girls' volleyball team is making a remarkable comeback. With six wins on their side, the team's players are giddy, energized and armed with a sense of confidence that the Willow Glen volleyball team has been without for years.

"Everybody always walked on this school; they had never won a game," says current coach Craig So. "Now I think we've gained some respect from the top teams. At least when they see us, they know they have to play."

Three years ago, coaches Craig So, Tim Watanabe and their three partners, all called S'WAT Volleyball, took over coaching the team at Willow Glen High School. All have played college-level volleyball and taught for many years. S'WAT's coaches not only know the game but are keenly aware of other important lessons kids can learn through volleyball.

"We teach a lot of life lessons through volleyball because that is a lot more important than their record [of wins]," Watanabe says. "The wins will come, as they have, if they keep staying true to their task. A lot of times, adults don't give kids the chance they deserve. We let the girls take over a lot."

In addition to practicing nearly every day after school, the players organize a fundraising tournament twice a year, for which they send out mailers, register teams, map out times, keep score and collect money. These tournament fundraisers have allowed the volleyball team to be entirely self-supporting, with money to spare.

"Adults love our tournament because the kids do a better job of organizing than some adults do at other tournaments," Watanabe said. "They're just a really good group of hard-working kids."

The volleyball team practices three days each week for nearly three hours at a time. To begin practice, the girls run two laps around the gym before hunkering down on the slick wooden floor for stretches. After this, a fast-paced routine of drills follows scrimmage games.

"We try to teach them how to play smart volleyball," coach So says. "We teach them how to minimize their mistakes."

Apparently the new tactic is working. The team's record this year was 8 and 6.

"We had more wins this year than we did in the last three or four years combined," says volleyball player Theresa Flores. "It's more fun to win. It makes the team more together."

Other girls who played on the team before this year agree that winning helps unify the players.

"This year we go out to pizza every Tuesday, and I really enjoy practice," team member Katie McGovern said. "[The coaches] are so nice to us. If Craig gets upset, he just encourages us."

Mostly, however, Willow Glen's volleyball coaches have no reason to get upset. The girls on the team are only improving.

"We are so proud of the hard work, dedication, perseverance and heart that the girls have put in," So says. "We are especially happy that some of it is starting to pay off for them."

A huge victory came when their team beat Lincoln High School, which was previously undefeated.

"That felt really good," player Missy Abinanti said. "We were the only team that beat them."

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