Yreka tourney awaits Warriors

 Seek 21st straight conference title

Senior Kristen Debacker goes for the volleyball during practice earlier this week. The team opens the season in Yreka today.(The Daily Triplicate/Adam Madison)

A new season awaits the Del Norte high varsity volleyball team starting today.

The squad is taking part in at least four games at a tournament in Yreka, depending on how well they fare.

This season, the Warriors are seeking to earn a remarkable 21st straight league title in the Big 5 Conference.

Although the team returns only two starters from last year and four seniors, expectations are high that as usual, the team will reload and have another successful year.

“I’m looking forward to this year and hopefully win another championship,” senior Katie Rinkevicz “We all want to do well. We’re part of something special here.”

This year, two very familiar faces to the Warrior volleyball program are back.

Pablo and Debbie Lorenzi return as co-head coaches. Debbie was head coach for a number of years until the 2004 season and is credited with helping start the Warrior volleyball dynasty back in the 1980s.

As was the case in her last 13 years of coaching, Lorenzi will be joined as co-coach by her husband Pablo, the head coach of the Warrior baseball team last season.

While Pablo is officially listed as the head coach, both say it will be a true co-coaching effort. Meagan Curtis, who took over for Debbie Lorenzi in 2005 is taking a one year hiatus and is expected back at the helm next season.

She is due to give birth to her second child in November and said that with the birth coinciding with the season she decided it was best not to be head coach this year.

Debbie Lorenzi said a tournament like the one in Yreka is a way to face top competition right off the bat and see what they are doing well and what needs refining.

“We need to get as much experience as we can,” Lorenzi said. “It helps raise our game up, and shows us what we can do.”

 A complete preview story on the team will run in the fall sport special section on Friday.

The Warriors play their first home game on Thursday against Brookings-Harbor at 6:30 p.m.