Setting ACHS up for title run

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers NET VALUE—Last year, Carlye Taggesell, 17, was named to the All-Pacific View League First Team for her performance as a setter with the Scorpions. She averaged 25 assists per game in 2007. For four years at Camarillo High, Trevor Taggesell did a good job looking after his younger sister, Carlye. Now the ACHS girls' volleyball team is hoping Carlye Taggesell can help guide them.

The younger Taggesell, now a senior, has developed into one of the Ventura County's top setters and will be looked upon this season to lead the Scorpions. Last year, Taggesell averaged 25 assists per game and was named to the All-Pacific View League First Team.

"Carlye brings a lot of leadership and dedication to this team," Camarillo head coach Rob Vandermay said. "In terms of setting ability, she has some of the best hands in the county."

Taggesell may be a stellar player now, but if she had been asked five years ago if she would be playing volleyball, let alone be one of the area's top players, she probably would have laughed in your face.

"Before I played volleyball I played soccer and was pretty good," Taggesell said. "Before eighth grade, I didn't know anything about volleyball.

"When I was in eighth grade, however, I started to attend my older brother's volleyball games at Camarillo. It didn't take long for me to realize I would like to play the sport as well."

Taggesell learned the basic principles of the game by watching her brother, and, before she knew it, she was a solid player herself. One of the things she was immediately intrigued by was the position of setter.

"I love setting because you're always in control," Taggesell said. "You're always involved, and you get to touch the ball on every play."

Vandermay said the setter position was tailor-made for Taggesell.

"She's a very expressive person on the court and isn't intimidated by anyone," Vandermay said. "She has a great attitude and a lot of mental ability. She's like our quarterback or point guard out there. Every play goes through her, and if she's clicking, so is the team. She's going to dictate how well the team does."

In her first year at ACHS Taggesell was showing so much promise that she made the junior varsity team. Taggesell expected to be on the same squad during her sophomore year, but Vandermay had other ideas.

"I liked what I saw from her that summer, so I actually asked the rest of the varsity team, which was full of seniors, if they would welcome a sophomore setter on the team," Vandermay said. "Every single player said they were absolutely for it, so I brought her up. It turned out to be a good decision."

Although Taggesell was one of the squad's youngest players, she could always count on the advice of her older brother.

"He told me to never give up in a game no matter what the score was," Taggesell said. "He also told me to always stay positive and do my best to get the rest of the team pumped up."

In return for her brother's advice, Taggesell continued to attend her brother's games and served as his biggest cheerleader.

"She would show up wearing a T-shirt that said 'Trevor kicks butt' or something like that," Vandermay said. "It was something nice to see in an age where most siblings don't get along too well."

Vandermay said he believes Taggesell will make a great leader on the Scorpions and has appointed her one of the team's captains. Although she's now a captain, Vandermay said she still needs advice every now and then on how to run the team."

"We had practice on Wednesday morning, and, it being our first early morning practice, some of the girls were tired and not playing their best," Vandermay said. "You could tell Carlye was fuming inside. I told her in that situation she can't get upset at herself; she has to find a way to lift the spirit of the other players and make them play better. It's harder to pull someone up than push someone down, but it's something she has to do."

Taggesell agreed with her coach.

"It's a big challenge for me to always stay positive because I have such high expectations for this team," Taggesell said. "We have a great club, and it's going to be between us and Oxnard for the league title."

Vandermay said he's looking forward to the season, but, at the same time, it will be bittersweet when it ends.

"I've coached a Taggesell for the last five years, so when the season's over it will be an end of an era," Vandermay said. "It will be sad to say goodbye to Carlye, and the team will definitely miss her when she's gone."