Warriors go 2-1 to start season

The Del Norte High varsity volleyball team packed a lot of games into one day to start the season this past weekend.

Playing at a tournament in Yreka on Saturday the Warriors went 2-1 to take third place.

In pool play, which does not count towards the regular season record, Del Norte split sets with Mount Shasta and Yreka and won both sets with Trinity High.

In tournament play, which counts towards the regular season record, the Warriors started out by downing Liberty Christian two games to none.

In the second contest De Norte fell to Central Valley in two games.

“It was our first competition of the year and we did better than I thought we would,” head coach Pablo Lorenzi said.

Lorenzi was pleased with the way his squad passed, their defensive play and said the team’s blocking was “pretty decent.”

But, Lorenzi added, Del Norte still has a lot of work to do on its overall game.

“We need to improve in all fields and we need to step up our game,” he said. “The intensity needs to be stepped up more. We need to be more intent on what we’re doing.”

Lorenzi commended senior Lexie Nelson, who he said had an excellent tournament and did well in all aspects of the game. Senior Paula Rhodes also had a good tourney and played top-notch defense and hit the ball well, Lorenzi said.

On Thursday, Del Norte plays its first home game of the year against Brookings-Harbor. The varsity game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the main gym at the high school.

The Warriors are seeking their 21st straight Big 5 Conference title this season.