Spring season has begun for women’s volleyball as the team looks to find its new identity and prepare for the fall.
The Broncos went 2-1 at the Concordia Tournament on March 23, beating Concordia University Irvine, Biola and falling just short to Azusa Pacific.
“We’re training hard. This group is young and things have been extremely positive this spring,” acting head coach Traci Dahl said.
Coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history with a 24-6 record, the team looks to continue that success with some changes in the lineup.
The Broncos said goodbye to longtime head coach Rosie Wegrich, who retired after 27 seasons at Cal Poly Pomona. It was announced in January that assistant head coach Dahl would be stepping in as she was named acting head coach for the women’s volleyball team.
The position of assistant head coach for CPP was filled in March as Julia Warren was hired. Warren was previously serving as the director of operations for the University of New Mexico’s volleyball program.
“Coach Warren brings a ton of high-level playing experience along with a good couple of years coaching at a DI (Division I) school at the University of New Mexico,” Dahl said. “She has a very good eye for talent so I’m really looking forward for her to take over the recruiting reign to some degree and getting kids to come to Cal Poly.”
Not only have the coaching roles shifted, but the team also lost two of their star players: seniors Kristen Hamlin and Andrea Bosnic.
“It’s never easy to fill All-American shoes,” coach Dahl said. “But with the returning players and the girls coming in, I don’t plan on skipping a beat.”
The team hasn’t publicly announced the names yet, but it will be welcoming nine new players made up of three transfer students and six freshmen who will be added to the 2019-20 roster.
One of the players that was announced by coach Dahl was outside hitter Jazminn Parrish, who signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Broncos for the fall season.
“She is an amazing athlete and I would venture to say that she will start her career very early,” coach Dahl said. “She is a dynamic athlete that is high above the net and she will bring some high-level volleyball to the gym and complement the players we have nicely.”
A returner for Cal Poly and someone to look out for this upcoming season is setter Kira Zimmerman, who will be playing in her second year as a Bronco. Zimmerman was named California Collegiate Athletic Association Freshman of the Year and was also listed to the 2018 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II All-America Team.
“She has taken her game up a level and this year she is in more of a leadership role as well,” Dahl said.
Having a roster filled with experience and a young group of talent as well as an enthusiastic coaching staff, the future looks bright for this team.
“We’re going to have a roster size of 17 and our depth is going to be amazing,” coach Dahl said. “We still have a month left of spring so I’m looking forward to the continuation of this team getting better so that when we go into the fall it’ll be a seamless transition.”
The Broncos continue their spring season with their next tournament taking place Saturday in Irvine at 2 p.m.