When Ciara Reistad came to Choctaw to lead the beach volleyball program, she inherited a team that had lost six seniors from its starting lineup. With only three seniors on this year’s roster and a relatively new program, a new culture needed to be built.
- So far, Reistad has done a tremendous job doing just that.
The Lady Indians picked up a win over Destin on March 5, which marked Reistad’s first victory as head coach. Choctaw also played Pace and Crestview — both strong programs — to competitive battles that were much closer than the final scores indicated.
“It’s very exciting. We had two really hard-fought games against Pace and Crestview,” Reistad said. “We lost six seniors last year who were in our starting lineup, so this year we were kind of an unknown on how we were going to do. But our returning girls have improved so much, so I’m just proud of the way that they’ve been playing — not just how they’re playing, but with their attitude and communication and the things that we can control.”
Seniors Arabella Delay, Victoria Walazk and Isabel Gutierrez have been key to setting that culture. All three serve as team captains this year.
- “Bella has been our rock. She’s been leading the girls, not just with her play, but with her voice, and really making sure that the girls are dialed in every day and checking back in with them,” Reistad said.
Overall, Reistad has been impressed with the team’s work ethic but wants to continue watching how players transitioning from indoor volleyball grow in the beach game.
For the rest of the season, Reistad wants to see the Lady Indians sweep Destin while continuing to compete with Pace and Crestview. Choctaw played its March 10 match against Crestview much closer than the first meeting, and the Lady Indians also have Pace at home on April 9.
“I think we’re neck and neck with a lot of these teams, so it’s going to come down to just a few of those points to be able to win three of our matches out of the five so we can win the match,” Reistad said.
No matter how the rest of the year plays out, a strong culture is forming for Choctaw beach volleyball.
