UC High’s Girls Volleyball Team is experiencing great improvements this season, driven by Captains Desiree Peterson and Payton Agnew and New Head Coach Dianne DeNecochea.
Peterson and Agnew lead the team through two-hour practice every day, as well as an extra 30 minutes of weights, in order to get better. Coach Dianne DeNecochea has improved their skill  level   and  set the bar high for competing schools that play UC High.
DeNecochea, who has been playing volleyball since she was in the seventh grade, was on the University of Tennessee’s college team and played five seasons of indoor volleyball in Europe. She continued on to play three seasons in Switzerland and another season in Belgium and Italy, but her career did not stop there. DeNecochea played in the Pro Beach Tour, Pro Beach four-person and Pro Beach doubles as well as with the National Team.
DeNecochea realized that she wanted to become a coach while coaching her twelve-year-old daughter’s club volleyball team. She said, “I thought I would be burned out in the gym, because I had been playing volleyball for so long, but when I started coaching her and her team I realized that I am really passionate about coaching and I really enjoy it.”
Her experience has led her to improve UC High’s Volleyball Team immensely. Peterson said, “Our team has improved greatly. We have become stronger players, more confident players, and have improved our technique. [DeNechochea] has us doing weights weekly, building our strength, and incorporating it with our technique.”
Peterson said that she has been wanting to play high school volleyball since she was younger. She has been playing for six years now and loves being captain. She said, “I love leading my team, and being a person that my teammates can look up to or come to with issues.” She added that DeNecochea has improved everyone’s game techniques and made all of her teammates better players.
Agnew has also wanted to play varsity volleyball since the seventh grade. Furthermore, she said, “I love being captain but the toughest part is trying to get everyone pumped after losing a couple points in the game.” However, this is something that is improving with new coaching.
DeNecochea said that the team’s confidence level has improved drastically, and instead of the team going into the game thinking something bad will happen, they go onto the court believing that they can win. Not only has the team’s confidence improved, but Agnew also pointed out the positive impact the coach has had on her technique, saying, “My passing and defense has become a lot better with her help.”
With DeNecochea’s leadership, Agnew and Peterson believe that they can make it far in the season. The biggest competitors, chiefly Patrick Henry, Point Loma and La Jolla, are all thought to be beatable and although they have lost to Patrick Henry once, the teams spirits are high enough to set the record straight in the future.