THE FUTURE WAS NOW FOR THIS YOUNG TEAM

With a lineup full of underclassmen, the future was bright for the Redlands East Valley girls volleyball program.

However, this group wasn't interested in waiting for its time to arrive. The Wildcats seized their opportunity and arrived ahead of schedule.

The youngsters displayed poise well beyond their years and improved with every match. This was very evident in their thrilling come-from-behind win over top-seeded North Torrance in the CIF-SS Division 2A title match.

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Terry Pierson / The Press-Enterprise

Under Coach Trish Vansant, the Redlands East Valley girls volleyball players developed into a close team.

The section championship was a historic moment for the Wildcats, being the first in the school's 11-year history.

For these reasons, Redlands East Valley's volleyball team has been selected the HS GameTime Girls Team of Year.

"To be honest, I don't think they realized just how young they were," Wildcats coach Trish Vansant said. "They went out and played volleyball the way they know how."

An early-season loss to Rancho Cucamonga was tough to handle at first, but it ultimately spurred Redlands Easy Valley to greater things. The players grew closer together and, as a result, the play was stronger.

REV went undefeated in the Citrus Belt League and lost only one more match during the regular season. The unseeded Wildcats knocked off three of the four seeds in the playoffs. Vansant has a picture in her coach's folder of two players on the bench holding hands. And it's just that, a pair of hands.

"It's the perfect symbol of what this team was this year," Vansant said of the team's unity. "This truly was a truly special group of girls. I had 16 players on the team, but there never was any complaining about playing time."