When the final point was scored on Thursday, October 16, the curtain fell on the Lake Arrowhead Christian School Lady Eagles’s volleyball season. They had lost 2-0 to Loma Linda Academy in the first round of the Mountain Valley Christian League playoffs, but they celebrated a few milestones along their season’s journey.
This year, LACS welcomed Tawny Martin back as the girls’ head volleyball coach. She had previously coached for the Eagles from 2019-2022, before moving with her family to Hawaii, where she coached high school volleyball. Her husband Van is a surgeon at Mountains Community Hospital, while their two children attend LACS. Coach Tawny possesses an enthusiastically encouraging leadership style, which motivates her players to strive for their best.
Coach Tawny inherited a strong roster, featuring 9 eighth-grade girls (6 of whom played for the Eagles last year). She connected well with the girls and quickly had them working as a proficient unit. Libero Madison Warford and setter Elizabeth Crowder demonstrated vocal on-court leadership, as well as high-level skills and athletic talent. Hitter Jamisen Mills-Kiely and setter Monique Casas consistently provided steady performances. Returning hitters Elizabeth and Lydia Tallman showed continued improvement in their third season. Newcomers Aerie Kuke, Olivia Lascano, Catherine Ulloa and Makenzie Warford infused the team with significant energy and a depth of athletic talent.
The girls finished a strong season with a Northern Division record of 6 wins and 2 losses, good for second place. Their overall record was 9-3. The Eagles were the only division team to defeat first-place Victor Valley Christian School, beating the Royals 2-0 on October 9, and providing themselves with a strong tune-up in preparation for the league playoffs.
Another significant achievement for the Eagles was winning the Silver Bracket Championship at the Redlands Christian School Tournament on September 20. On the way to the championship, the Eagles defeated Crossroads Corona, Packinghouse Redlands, and Redlands Christian School (as well as other pool-play opponents). “It was a long day but all worth it,” was Coach Tawny’s response following an exhausting 10-hour day of competition.
Coach Tawny will have her hands full next year, as 9 of the team’s 10 girls are 8th graders moving into high school. It will be a tall task but one she says she relishes, emphasizing that she really enjoys teaching middle school girls the skills of volleyball and instilling a love for the game.
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