When the Orcas volleyball team qualified for state last year, head coach Gregg Sasan described the players as being beside themselves with excitement. Although the girls lost their first two matches at state, it was still a victory in many ways.

“It had been a while since the team went to state,” Sasan said. “And it was one of the goals we set at the beginning of the year.”

This season, Sasan has the same goal, but he’s taking it one match at a time and focusing on setting up the team for success.

And he has plenty of players to keep him busy: 13 girls on varsity and 17 on junior varsity.

“It’s exciting and a little challenging,” said Sasan about the numbers.

With the help of assistant coach Hank Date, Sasan has had to assign players to teams and will have to make sure the JV players get plenty of play time.

The good news is that the 12 seniors and one junior on varsity make up an experienced team for this season. Of course, a coach like Sasan knows anything could happen.

“If I could tell the future I would,” Sasan said. “But I can’t.”

The coach may not have super powers, but he does have plenty of years of experience on his side. This is his 21st year as head coach and 30th year working with the team. And he’s says he is still learning something new with each year and each group of players.

“The team changes from year and there is always something new and exciting,” Sasan said. “It keeps me sharp.”

It’s that lesson of learning that he tries to impart on his players.

So far, Sasan said the team’s weakness is defense and serving and their strengths are their setter, back-up setter and Captain Tika Zbornik, who rules the back row.

But Sasan said what matters most on the court is teamwork.

“Like I told my team yesterday, you guys are individuals, but we have to work as a team,” he said.