Highlanders in the hunt for a postseason berth
Royal girls' volleyball team looking to fend off Moorpark, Simi Valley
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers SISTERS IN ARMS- Members of the Royal girls' volleyball team celebrate a three-games-to-none victory over rival Simi Valley on Oct. 2. The Highlanders host Agoura on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. Next Thursday, RHS has a highly anticipated match at Moorpark.

Heidi Buonauro doesn't know how the Marmonte League girls' volleyball standings will shake out, but she does know about the spirit of her team.

During its own Royal Tournament, Royal High trailed Chaminade by eight points but fought its way back to a 25-17 victory on Sept. 29.

Before that, the Highlanders trailed Moorpark by two games before winning the match in five. Then Royal stretched league power Thousand Oaks, undefeated in Marmonte League action, to five games before falling.

So what makes this team tick?

"Pretty much their heart and competitive nature," said Buonauro, the fourth-year varsity head coach who has been coaching at the school for 10 years.

At press time, the Highlanders were 9-6 overall and 4-3 in league action, good enough for fourth place. The top four Marmonte League teams advance to the CIFSouthern Section Division I playoffs. Royal is fighting off Moorpark and Simi Valley for a postseason bid.

Royal thrives with a mix of seniors and underclassmen. Senior captains Una Siljegovic and Kayla Ingraham lead the way, while six sophomores provide major contributions.

Siljegovic, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, has been on the varsity squad for three seasons. Siljegovic's older sister, Nena, was a standout setter who ended up playing at Southern California before moving on to the professional ranks in France. Ingraham is a middle blocker.

"Una passes phenomenally; her ball control is really good," said Buonauro, who was coaching the junior varsity team when Nena was tearing the net up on varsity.

"Both of them are strong leaders on the court. They lead by example."

Sophomore setter Naddie Simpson, who had 54 assists in the five-game loss to Thousand Oaks, has been a key member for the Highlanders as well.

Simpson starts along with fellow sophomore Kathleen Wright, an outside hitter. Another sophomore, Katelyn Atkin, is the third of three sisters who have played at Royal.

Sophomores Devrie Donalson and Kayla Rubio have also found their way on the court. Donalson is the backup setter while Rubio, a middle blocker, has been a pleasant surprise in the back row.

Abbey Prusa rounds out the strong sophomore class at middle blocker.

Juniors Carley Hunter and Drew Bragginton can play on either the left or right side. Besides Siljegovic and Ingraham, the other two seniors, outside hitter Amanda Rossi and opposite Melissa Maresca, play pivotal roles.

"Being such a young team, there's a lot to improve upon," Buonauro said. "Every time we set our goals for practice, it's to improve on the last time we were out there. Our focus is for them to keep outdoing themselves and play as well as they can play, together as a team."