Temecula Viper Volleyball Club

Elaine "Lainey" Hicks commited to California State Dominguez Hills on Thursday, February 11th, 2010. Lainey has been one of the best players in our club for the past 5 years. She really began to dominate last year as an outside hitter on the 18-1's. She continued that success into her final high school season at Elsinore, where she led the volleyball team to its first ever CIF Championship.

This season Lainey is the number one outside hitter on Temecula 18-Brianna. She is known throughout Southern California by both club and college coaches as a very quick hitter that can score against any team. Laine is definitely the kind of player you notice out on the court because she is very agressive and can take control of a match. Her and setter Mariah Agre have truly learned to work together and perfect their timing - it is fun to watch!

Lainey will join the Toros this fall and will be an impact player as a freshman. Another coach in the conference said she is an "All Conference Player" so it looks like Lainey is set to have a great college experience! Congrats Elaine!

From Dominguez Hills Press Release:

Looking to become competitive in the always-tough California Collegiate Athletic Association, Cal State Dominguez Hills women's volleyball head coach Scott Davenport has announced the addition of Elaine Hicks of Wildomar.

With a family whose background runs deep in volleyball, including three aunts who played NCAA Division I ball, Hicks is also no stranger to the sport with five years of club experience with Temecula-Viper under her belt while also helping lead Elsinore High School to its first-ever CIF Championship title.

Recruited by dozens of top D-I schools including San Jose State, UC Riverside, Boise State and Portland State, Davenport sought out Hicks as she is "a very talented and accomplished volleyball player who has a very high volleyball IQ and fierce competitive nature."

Ultimately the decision for Hicks to pick the Carson campus came down to "liking the coaches, the other players and staying in Southern California."

While at CSUDH, Hicks will major in Psychology and hopes to one day become a therapist with the goal of helping people.  Hicks was a standout for Elsinore HS as a junior and senior, being named an All-Sun Belt League Selection both years and to the All-CIF team both years as well.

Congratulations to Victoria Filiorosa Asuega from our 18-Elite team! She commited and signed to the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, which is a Division 1 program on the rise. They are looking forward to bringing in Victoria and having her make an immediate impact.

Victoria is an outside hitter who joined Viper for her senior season from Apple Valley and has made tremendous progress. She is looking forward to a great college experience away from home and with a great group of coaches and teammates.  Her new coaches have said, "Victoria is an outside hitter with explosive leaping ability and a lot of potential."

Victoria was the leading outside hitter for Desert Sky League and was named to the All-League 1st Team as well as Best Offensive Player of the Year for Desert Sky League in 2009. She was also named Best Offensive Player for 2008-09, All League 1st Team, Player of the Year and led her team to the Semi-Finals in 2008-09. She is the daughter of Lagima and Palupe Losefa.

Coach Brianna congratulates Victoria, "I am so proud of Victoria. I know her hard work and determination to be a great player will lead her to success at Pine Bluff."

Congratulations to Marissa Ellow who commited to Point Loma Nazarene. This is her first season with Viper and she is a starting middle blocker for the 18-Elite team! Marissa has improved tremendously this season and has brought a lot of energy and passion for the game to her team.

Marissa is the kind of player you want to have on your team because she is always pushing herself to get better and be coachable. Rochelle Short, one of Viper's coaches, is looking forward to having Marissa on her squad next year.

"Point Loma is excited to have the opporutity to work with Marissa as an incoming 2010 freshman. She will be adding some experience and depth in the Middle Blocker position that we have been missing."

Coach Brianna is excited to see Marissa play at the next level too. "Marissa had a tough decision to make and I'm happy that she chose a school that will challenge her and allow her to grow as a volleyball player."

Taylor Kushner received a 4-year scholarship to play at
UC Riverside next year. She committed to the coaches in August, and is looking forward to joining a great program on the rise!
Congratulations from everyone at Viper!

In Taylor's Words:  "I am most excited about getting this amazing opportunity to play Division 1 volleyball for a great school in California and getting to be close to home. I am so grateful to be able to play another four years of volleyball!" taylor K hit

"I love the campus, and I love the coaching staff and team, the whole thing has been an amazing experience!! Right now I am focusing on my grades so i can be prepared going in there next year. I am going to work on always having a positive attitude and being a leader and team player. I also want to have a really strong club season for my last year with Viper."

"I am so blessed to be given this opportunity and I thank my dad for everything he has done for me in the past, and for always supporting me!! I love you dad :) i wanted to thank Coach Dana for all her help with the recruiting process and always being supportive of me.   I also wanted to thank Mr. Capp for getting me into volleyball and for being my mentor through the years, and supporting me and having faith in me even when others didn't. I love you MR. Capp! And I can't forget Ed Morel, he has also been a mentor to me and made me feel like i am apart of his family."

Congratulations to the Cipres family as Mekenna Cipres accepts a full scholarship to, Brenau University in Gainesville Georgia.  She will be attending Fall of 2009. 

Mekenna has been a Viper since she was 10 years old.  She has been the back bone for many teams throughout her career as a Viper. She started playing on 12 Merilee and 14 Merilee and the setter for 14's and 15 Elite under Karen  "Lew" Lewis. 

Coach Lew says, "Nobody deserves it more!  I am so proud of her and Your new coach will be delighted to have you!"

Mekenna also set as a 6-2 setter for the 17s Elite last year and now is the sole setter for the 18 Angie team. 

Congratulations!! From your extended family (Viper). 

Congratulations to the Hampton family as Haleigh Hampton will be attending Long Beach State in the Fall of 2010.  

In Mariah's words:
1. What do you like about UNM? I like everything. The coaching staff, the team, the athletic support system, the academic advisors, and the professors I met all contributed to my decision to choose UNM. They all made me feel so welcome. 

2. What are you most excited about? Being a part of a great program that is really talented and on the rise. Coach Nelson is a great teacher and mentor, and the personality of the girls was a good fit for me. They are a family and I want to be a part of that family too.

From Coach Dana - "Mariah has only been setting a little while at the competitive SoCal level and has improved tremendously over the last 5 months. As a result, she has reached her goal of getting a full-ride scholarship to a great volleyball school, The University of New Mexico. Mariah is a very competitive player and really takes charge of the team in matches. Her intensity and drive to win and be the best will make her a very competitive player at the collegiate level. I know the Lobo coaching staff is really excited to have a player with Mariah's talent, personality, and connection to the team and University. Good luck Mariah!"

In  Ayana's words...

1. Why did you choose Fullerton? I chose Fullerton because it was the best school that met both mine and my families needs. It's in the area I most wanted to live and its also close enough to home where I can visit if I want, yet far enough that I can still feel like I've actually gotten some freedom.On top of that, the team and coaches are amazing and friendly people that I can definitely see mysef spending 4 years with. The school itself is great and I love everything about it.

2. What are you most excited about? Fullerton has a great Christian campus ministry that is close with my families church in Temecula. Also, the girls on the team are very nice and make me excited to be a Titan!

From Coach Dana - "Ayana is just beginning to see her potential as a volleyball player. She has come a long way this year toward reaching her goal of getting a full-ride scholarship to a D1 school. We are really proud of her increased commitment and dedication that has paid off. The coaches at Cal State Fullerton recognize her athleticism and height and see that she can be a big player for their program. Good luck Ayana!"

In Tanya's words: I am really excited to play at Arizona Western. The coaches are great, it's not too far from home and they provide great academic support to help me have a good college experience.

The Head Coach at Arizona Western said, "We are really excited to get a player of Tanya's caliber. She is a versatile athlete who will fit in well with our system of play. we expect that she will be an integral part of our offense next season."

From Coach Dana: Tanya is a great kid with a big personality. She is fun to be around and her enthusiasm for volleyball and life is contagious. On the court, Tanya has more than just great dance moves, she is a powerful attacker and a very quick defender in the back court. One of my favorite things about Tanya is her consistency and winning attitude. No matter what the circumstances, she goes hard, competes and does her best.

In Lexi's own words: I chose Dartmouth primarily for its academics; my main goal was to find a school that would continue to challenge me throughout college.  Also Dartmouth gave me the chance to continue to play volleyball in a very competitive environment, which I couldn't be more excited about. 

From Coach Angie - "Caroline, aka, "Chick," played a very key role on our 18s team this year. She was our starting libero and a primary passer for us. Caroline's high energy, communication, and quickness on the court was crucial for our defense. She never let the ball hit the floor and was always positive to everyone around her. It is no question why I had quite a few colleges asking me about her. However, there comes a time when you are ready to move into new chapters in your life.Good luck with academics at UCLA, Caroline! I know you will do great and continue to soar!"

From Caroline - I picked UCLA because for one, it's UCLA, and because it's really a great school. They have every fun thing and scholarly thing imaginable, and I'm excited to go to a huge school--it'll be new for me. I'm going to start out studying sociology. I'm really excited to decorate my dorm room! I'm not playing on UCLA's volleyball team, but as soon as I see a sign-up sheet for intramural volleyball, I'll be writing my name down so fast it'll be scary.

From coach Dana -  "This was Caroline's first year with us and she really did a terrific job of leading her team as libero this season. Though she had opportunities to play in college, she decided to put her academic pursuits at the top of the list and is heading to UCLA. She is going to wow the teachers there with her work ethic and beautiful voice. Good luck Chick!"

From Coach Angie - "It is no question why her nickname is "Sparky."  Natalie brings high energy and spark to the floor every time she steps on the court.  Her fire and enthusiasm is contagious to everyone around her."

"Natalie is a very smart player and I know she will be a key addition at RiversideCommunity College! Go Natalie! We will miss you at Viper! Keep smashing those slides and 3s!"

From coach Dana -  "Natalie is a great competitor and always wants to make the play when the game is on the line. She has brought 100% to every practice since she started with Viper years ago. We know she will succeed at RiversideCommunity College and be an impact player and person. Good luck Natalie!"

Carissa has only been with Temecula Volleyball Club for 1 year but she has been playing volleyball for a long time. She is both a setter and defensive specialist and has excelled in both positions. Not only is she a great volleyball player, but she is committed to her school work and is a member of the National Honor Society. Though she had scholarship opportunities, she decided to stay in California. She does not plan to play in college, but you never know!

Some of Carissa's Volleyball Achievements: