Estancia girls volleyball with big goals under coach Alejandro De Mendoza

COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Estancia High School Girls’ Volleyball team has come a long way in the past five years. When Head Coach Alejandro De Mendoza took over the team in 2017, the team had less than 30 athletes and were “struggling to find success on the court.” Coach De Mendoza, along with Assistant Coach Kristen Markowitz, have “cultivated a family culture” in the program that now has over 50 athletes who consistently win over 20 games a season.

The 2022-23 Girls’ Volleyball team will be led by Co-Captains Makena Ray and Joanna Santosuosso. Both girls are seniors who have shown that in addition to their “abilities as great athletes, they have a strong sense of responsibility and empathy for their teammates that makes them great leaders,” said Coach De Mendoza. The team’s goal for this season is to be united as a team in wins and losses, defeat rivals Costa Mesa High School, and go further in the Playoffs than they did last season.

One of the ways the team stays united is their Big Sister/Little Sister program. Freshmen are welcomed in by being connected with juniors and seniors who can take them under their wing. The juniors and seniors are there to offer the freshmen guidance not just on the court, but through the transition of middle school into high school. The program must be working; they’re off to a spectacular start of the season at 8-0! [as of September 1].

Coaches De Mendoza and Markowitz encourage the girls to have a “growth mindset and to be life-long learners.” The coaches have the girls set their own goals in the beginning of the season, write them on the whiteboard so the team can see them every day at practice. This way, the girls can have a visual of the goal and stay motivated during training.

Over the years, Coaches De Mendoza and Markowitz have seen the team grow and continually strive to do better than they did the previous years. “Those who were on Varsity last year are very motivated to go further in the Playoffs this year.” With this year’s co-captains, the coaches believe the leadership is there and the team is solid, and they expect to have a great season.

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