Alisal volleyball

For all the time and sacrifices spent in chasing a title two years ago, ultimately there was a price that would come with it.

An investment that began four years earlier with eight seniors had come to fruition when Alisal went out and captured just the school’s second ever volleyball title in 2016.

"Maybe I blame myself a little bit because I invested so much into that group of girls," Alisal coach Jose Ramos said. "The following year I ended up with eight sophomores with no experience."

The results were punishing as Alisal failed to win a non-tournament match, going just 2-20 overall in a painful rebuilding season last fall.

"It was definitely rough," Ramos said. "The motivation part was difficult. But it wasn’t like we were not putting in the work. We never looked at it as a wasted season."

Instead, the Trojans looked back, taking a page from the past.

"Before the season started, we went on a camping trip with volleyball mixed in," Yesenio Tijerina said. "It brought this group closer together. We’re still bonding. But there’s no drama."

But there have been wins — eight straight non-tournament victories after Tuesday's win over Monterey, that’s eight more non-tournament wins than last fall.

"We understood our situation and how young we were last year," Ramos said. "Even though we were not winning, I believe the girls saw the improvement. Mentally these girls pushed harder."

The reality is the Trojans (10-3) are potentially a year ahead of where Ramos saw this group of now juniors excelling the court.

"We lost a lot last year," said senior Destiny Plascencia, who was a member of the 2016 title team. "But we were getting better as the season progressed. I think it has carried over to this year."

Of course, the start of the season wasn’t how Ramos envisioned, as Alisal was swept in its opener by King City, stretching its losing streak to 20 straight.

"I looked at it as a dress rehearsal," Ramos said. "There were a lot of things I had to change. I moved some positions around and put people in different situations. It just clicked."

That included running a two-set offense with juniors Mariam Ochoa and America Mendez. The pair have taken turns feeding the ball to the likes of Plascencia and Samantha Montelongo.

"We were so young last year," Plascencia said. "We struggled with communication. We didn’t have a lot of chemistry or confidence. Over time, we’ve bonded on the court."

That bonding is still a work in progress for the Trojans, according to Tijerina, who along with libero Maria Ochoa, form a dynamic defense in the back row.

"It’s not just chemistry that has gotten us to this point," insisted Tijerina. "We see each other as family. Sure it feels good to be winning. It provides confidence. But it’s also a trust factor."

Winning does breed confidence. A light-hearted joke when the season began was to match last year’s win total. That became a reality three matches into the season.

All of a sudden, goals changed and expectations soared as the Trojans put together one of their best non-league seasons in two decades.

"It about believing in ourselves," said Plascencia, the team’s middle blocker. "We put in a lot of hard work. We believe we can contend this year."

And that’s where the conversations have turned during practice. While the focus is on improving and expanding their skill level, the attitude is to push the pendulum.

"We’re not looking to just be a middle of the pack team," Ramos said. "This team believes it can win now. I don’t know if that was the case last year."

How could it have been when Alisal was swept 15 times. Yet, as Ramos pointed out, improvement came in other avenues besides wins.

"Our first match against Salinas was a reality check," recalled Ramos. "It wasn’t even close. We were just trying to get into double digits for points. The second time we faced them, we took them to four sets."

For all the offensive numbers the Trojans front row is putting up, Ramos believes the strength of the team is its defense.

Nayeli Munoz and Maria Ochoa pick up balls that appear headed for the floor, making passes that enable the setters to ignite the offense.

"Our play in the back row has improved so much," Ramos said. "What has changed for us in our last couple of games is our front row has started to feel it. If we can put those together, it will be fun."

It’s already fun if you ask the team. No one has forgotten last year’s struggles, which pushes them to never experience that feeling again.

"I’ve been on both sides of it," said Plascencia, one of three seniors on the roster. "This feels so much better."

The best part for Ramos is his investment this time goes beyond one season.

"I get nine of them back next year," Ramos said.