NET GAIN
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
RAFU SPORTS EDITOR
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007

With a potent lineup or returning seniors and some talented underclassmen, there’s plenty of excitement at South Pasadena.

Photos by MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS/Rafu Shimpo
HAVING A BALL–Surrounding Emma Kikuchi in the hopper are South Pasadena teammates, from left, Hana Kikuchi, Lindsey Kuramoto, Sakura Koshikawa and Rachel Gross. The Tigers have lots to smile about, with the return of key seniors and strong underclass support.

With Koshikawa feeding the offense
up front, the Tigers look to make a
return trip to the playoffs.

SOUTH PASADENA.–The buzz at Thursday’s practice kicked into high gear after the workout was finished. South Pasadena High School head coach
Jessica Barreto gathered her team to discuss team pictures as the girls awaited the arrival of their new uniforms.

That was more than enough to keep the gymnasium full of conversation–at an elevated volume level–for an extended time.

“This is a good group. I’m really looking forward to this season,” said
Barreto, who has taken over to skipper the Tigers this season. The former head coach at Los Altos High in Hacienda Heights has inherited a team that comes back this season with a host of strong seniors returning from last year’s team, one that earned a spot in the CIF playoffs.

“We did pretty well last year, but we lost in the first round to Arcadia,” said senior Hana Kikuchi. “I think we’ll go farther this year.”

“The new coach is the biggest difference this season,” said setter Sakura
Koshikawa. “The workouts are tougher, the standards are higher. The way she runs our practices is more effective, I think.”

Koshikawa, a 17-year-old senior, added that now is the time to live up to the expectations the team has built over the last few years. In the 2006-2007 season, South Pas posted an overall record of 11-8.

“Last year was more of a year of potential. This year would be the time it all comes together,” she said.

The Tigers spent Thursday working mainly on defense, in preparation for today’s one-day tournament at Arcadia High, where they were knocked out of the post-season in the first round a year ago.

“Our coach says we need to communicate more on the court. We seem to lack that,” admitted senior Rachel Gross, the team’s libero. Coach Barreto echoed the sentiment.

“Based on what I’ve seen so far, we need to work more on being consistent,” she said. “We have the strength and we have the ability, we just need to work more on the mental points. We’re working on that now.”

The talent is certainly available at South Pas. In addition to Koshikawa,
Gross and Kikuchi, who was last year’s starting setter, the Tigers have a pair of upstart sophomores who figure to get their share of court time. Lindsey Kuramoto, 15, will backup Koshikawa at setter, while 14-year-old Emma Kikuchi, Hana’s younger sister, is a solid back row defensive specialist. Koshikawa will be feeding a dynamic duo of outside hitters this year, returning seniors Claudia Luck and six-foot Katie Baumgarten.

Aside from the playing skills, Barreto is looking for improvement between the ears in her players. After a couple of losses to begin the season, the Tigers balanced their record with a pair of victories in their last two matches.

“In our two losses, we lacked consistency,” Barreto explained. “We haven’t seen a definite leader yet, no one’s risen to that position, and that’s really killing us. In our two wins, against Alhambra and Mark Keppel, we saw Claudia start to be more of a leader and take over the team.”

After the Arcadia tournament, the Tigers will host La Salle on Tuesday,
Sept. 25, at 3:30.

Hana Kikuchi, poised to return as the starting setter this year, sat out most of the summer season due to illness. The 17-year-old, who is also considering college in New York for next year, has recently returned to the team and is working her way back to full strength, with Barreto’s guidance.

“Right now, because she missed most of the summer, she knows that she may not be up to par. She’s still on a kind of interim basis because she’s just recently come back,” Barreto said.

“Right now, I’m just happy to be able to play,” Kikuchi said with a grin.