Young aspiring volleyball players flocked to the Kentwood High School gym Oct. 10 to better their skills in the sport. With the help from the current volleyball players and their head coach Bil Caillier, the 60 or so young athletes received a crash course in proper passing form, spiking footwork and setting.

Among the instructors for the evening was starting varsity libero, Aleina Gabriel. Even though she’s a sophomore, it’s Gabriel’s first year as a Conk. She spent her freshman year at Holy Names Academy, an all-girls, private Catholic high school in Seattle.

She also played libero at Holy Names, but she was on the junior varsity team. Gabriel was elated to find out she had made it onto the varsity team at Kentwood and even more so that she was starting the first game as libero, or the primary defense specialist. She averages about 5-6 digs per set. To put that in perspective, University of Washington’s libero, Cassie Strickland, averaged about 2.9 digs per set in 2013. Gabriel’s talent is not just noticed by her own coach, either.

“She stands out enough in most matches that the coaches and referees have commented about her skill,” Caillier said in an email.

Her transition to Kentwood, Gabriel says, has been a big one. Not only in terms of playing on the varsity volleyball team, but the school itself is a whole lot bigger. Holy Names has a total enrollment this year of 690, while Kentwood enrolls about 2,000 – which makes it the eighth largest high school in Washington in terms of the number of students.

She is also taking two advanced placement classes, which is challenging by itself. But, add a varsity sport to the mix and you have one really busy athlete.

She says it’s all worth it, though. “(The team) has been really welcoming,” Gabriel said. “We’re all really close.”

Caillier said he has high hopes for Gabriel’s future success in the program. “I look forward to watching her continue to grow as a player,” he said.

Gabriel is not the only young player on the team, either. There are two starting freshmen, Riley Sansaver and Erin Gould. And only two players on the team are actually seniors, Lyubka Krasteva and Michelle Batin.

The Conks have two home games next week. On Tuesday, Oct. 21 they play Mount Rainer and on Thursday, Oct. 23, they play Todd Beamer.

The team will also be holding a second free clinic on Nov. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. It will be open to boys and girls in grades 6 and under.