BY ALLAN STEELE
IHEMET f Hemet volleyball players ever needed a not-so-subtle reminder of what they’re playing for, then all they have to do is look up at the banners in the gym. “Every day we come in and look at those banners and know that our main goal is to get another one,” senior Taylor VanZee said. “We’re going for a fourth one.” After winning three straight CIF-SS divisional titles, the Bulldogs are indeed gearing up for a run at an historic four-peat. The team is ranked No. 1 in Division 4-AA and is not shy about its mission to add another title. What makes this run different is that the team is essentially doing it with a new cast of characters who have stepped in and haven’t missed a beat. “For having so many new players on the team, the way the girls play together and work together, the overall chemistry of the team is phenomenal,” coach Janie Washburn said. “Everyone trusts each other.” Replacing nine players from last year’s squad, including five seniors who predominantly started, and two underclassmen who transferred, looked like it might be a chal- lenge entering the season, Washburn said. But it didn’t take long for everyone to find their niche. It also didn’t hurt that the Bulldogs’ top two players — setter Tristan Self and outside hitter Baylee Christian — returned as the team’s foundation. And those new players stepping up or changing roles? They’re also seniors whose only goal is to win another CIF title. “Having a strong group of senior leaders on the team has helped the underclassmen,” Christian said of the team’s development and the push toward the playoffs. “A lot of us have been down this road before, so we’re just trying to keep the tradition alive.” The tradition is impressive. It also adds lofty expectations for players who might not be accustomed to the playoff spotlight. That’s why the experience, especially from the seniors, is so important, Christian said. “It adds pressure because we did lose so many seniors and a lot of people thought at the beginning of the season that we weren’t going to be as good this year,” said Christian, who is among state leaders in kills per set (5.4) and hitting percentage (.468). “But I think so far we’ve proven we just rebuild every year, and it’s especially important for us seniors this year. We want to make our senior year as good as possible.” Hemet entered the week 16-1 and riding an 11-match win streak. Self said the 2013 version of the Bulldogs can be relentless. “We’re beating teams worse than we ever beat them because we have that killer instinct to put them down and not give them hope,” she said. With the exception of its loss to Riverside King, Hemet has dropped just two games this season. The Bulldogs had some injuries to overcome — currently, senior Korryn Miller is out — and they’ve had some younger players fill in roles, most notably freshman Grace Johnson, sophomore Jillian Nickens and junior Mallory Marcus. As the playoffs approach, senior Jessica Brown said the experience is all relative. “Even if you haven’t played all four years, you still have the experience of being in this program all four years and learning from the other girls,” she said. “Every year we set our sights on CIF.” “We want to be that team that wins the fourth one,” VanZee said. “Knowing it’s our last one, our last chance to finally finish it and get another championship drives us every day.” Follow Allan Steele on Twitter at @asteele12000