NET RESULTS

After two straight undefeated Southern League seasons, the Mariposa County High School volleyball team has its sights set on a third consecutive league championship — and a deeper run in the playoffs.

“Last season we had a lot of veteran players — but they were still younger (overall). They had just been playing with me for a long time, whether it was high school or club volleyball,” said MCHS coach Holly Earling. “We did well and were successful (because of their time playing together).”

The team went 29-10 overall in 2025, and was 14-0 in league matches. The girls have clearly dominated their league. Can they turn that dominance into postseason success?

“What we really want to do is win a second-round playoff game. We haven’t done that in a long time,” Earling explained.

The Grizzlies lost three seniors from last season’s squad: Sage Hawley, Isabel Whited and Mia Hansen.

“Those three were crucial to our program the last few years,” Earling said.

Earling said Hawley might be one of the most difficult pieces to replace.

“She is going to be tough to replace. She was a do-everything player. She was one of our better passers. Offensively, she was probably our most efficient,” said Earling.

Earling pointed to Whited as a player who was improving with each match, and noted how she was bummed to not have more time to work with her.

“She was our middle. She came a long way. I wish she had one more year. She was getting better and was peaking for us. She worked so hard. She was probably our best blocking middle we’ve had in a while,” Earling said.

And then the team had Mia Hansen as its libero, someone who had many different talents, Earling said.

“She held down our defense and was scrappy and quick,” Earling added.

Despite those losses of Hawley, Whited and Hansen, the team has five new seniors this season. And they’re not ordinary seniors: they have a lot of experience as a unit. Those seniors include Chloe King, Emma Pioske, Grace Beery, Gillian Pioske and Taylor Krull.

“They have all played together on the same team for a long time, so their chemistry is good, too,” Earling said.

Here is how the roster shapes out:

The Grizzlies will rely on Emma Pioske as the setter.

“Part of the reason we’ve been so successful the past few years is our setter, Emma. She really understands the game and as a setter, that is important. She is consistent with where she puts the ball for our hitters,” Earling said.

Earling added that last season, Emma finished the year near the top 10 in the state for assists.

“She is always up there statistically,” said Earling.

Her sister, Gillian Pioske, will serve as the outside hitter. Grace Beery is a middle blocker along with Zoey Hofstee. Chloe King is a utility player “who can do just about anything on the court,” Earling said. Right now, she is being eyed as a backup middle blocker.

Taylor Krull will serve as a defensive specialist. Abby Beery is the younger sister of Grace Beery and is earmarked as the team’s libero. Tylie Allison is a defensive specialist, while Livie Twiss is an opposite/setter.

Jade Lust is a defensive specialist and possibly an outside hitter. Kylee Hutchings is pegged to play as a defensive specialist. Kylie Williams is an outside hitter.

Earling said the other Pioske sister, Gillian, is stepping into more responsibility at the six position outside.

“She is not just concerned with kills but is going to have to play defense and serve well. I am looking forward to (seeing her take on) that challenge,” said Earling.

When asked who the “X-Factor,” or most unsung player, might be coming into the season, Earling didn’t hesitate.

“I think that person is Grace Beery. If she is on and gets quicker and more aggressive — as a middle, just having an offensive oriented middle will be really helpful. Over last year and even over the club season, her and Emma’s connection has gotten a lot better,” said Earling. “If we can get that dialed in every game, that will be huge for us.”

As far as areas of improvement for the team, Earling said there are a few things she wants the team to sharpen up.

“If you ask any volleyball coach, they are probably going to say serve and pass. Serve aggressively but not make many errors,” Earling said.

Receiving is another area Earling wants to improve.

“If you can’t make good contact on the first ball you can’t really set up your offense,” Earling said. “We spend a lot of time on those things in practice. It probably feels repetitive. It might seem like a boring answer but in volleyball those are the two most important things.”

Earling also said the team will have to get by against bigger opponents by using speed to their advantage.

“We run sort of a faster style of offense. We’re not super big or super powerful. In the playoffs we play teams that are a lot bigger than us. We have to be quicker than they are to score points,” she said.

Earling said Stone Ridge Christian could end up being the biggest threat to Mariposa’s title hopes. Stone Ridge finished second in the league last season and seems to be the closest team to Mariposa’s level of quality.

With that said, the success of the MCHS season comes down to whether the new seniors can replace what the previous seniors brought to the team, and whether the younger Grizzlies can also step up.

The team should be well positioned to do so.