Before each home match, the Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) volleyball team circles up to pray in the locker room, and on their way out, each girl jumps to hit the door frame. For Jenna Hanes, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, it’s more of a skip than a jump.
But regardless, it’s working.
Cathedral Catholic is 26-0 and ranked No. 1 in the latest Just Women’s Sports volleyball team rankings. This past weekend, the San Diego team won the Durango Fall Classic, one of the most competitive national tournaments in the country, and in seven matches, the Dons didn’t drop a set, ultimately besting reigning state champion Marymount.
Coach Juliana Conn has three middle blockers, and in previous tournaments she rotated them. But when they got to the DFC, Conn had a feeling that Hanes belonged on the court.
And she was right.
Hanes was crowned tournament MVP, and along the way she earned JWS Player of the Week honors. Since winning the DFC, Hanes and the rest of the Cathedral Catholic team have continued to roll, with a road sweep against La Jolla on Tuesday and another against Point Loma on Thursday.
“The competition brought the best out of her,” Conn said. “She was really on a mission to stop them blocking-wise. I think everything came…
