09/02/2026
Going to start doing Season Previews with the Head Coaches to go along with the Season Wrap Ups this year. I am hopeful to get these out before we get too far into the season.
This is our new Volleyball Coach Jeremy Kochel:
1: What are your overall expectations of the team for this season?
My expectations aren’t tied to a specific win total. I want us to be the hardest-working team on the floor every night and make every opponent earn every point.
If we can win a couple of matches and be competitive in most of the others, I’ll consider that real progress. This year is about building a foundation and getting better every week.
“I want every team we play to know that Elma is going to make them earn everything.”
2: Who are the key returning players and what roles do you expect them to fill?
Faith Bossard, Senior
Faith will be a key swing player for us at both middle blocker and outside hitter. She’s one of our hardest workers and gives us valuable versatility.
Audreauna “Nani” Kanios, Senior
Nani is a third-year varsity player and our team captain. I expect her to be a major presence at the net as both a blocker and attacker, and she’ll be one of the players setting the standard for our culture.
Vallon O’Gorman, Senior
Vallon will be one of our defensive anchors and gives us flexibility as both an outside hitter and libero. Her consistency will be very important for us.
Nayely Pineda Moreno, Junior
Nayely may be one of our smaller varsity players, but she plays with tremendous heart. She’s gritty, fearless on defense, and has the mentality that every ball is playable.
“Nayely plays like every ball is worth saving, and that’s exactly the mentality we want throughout the program.”
3: What do you see as the team’s biggest strengths right now?
Our biggest strength is how willing this group is to learn and work. They’ve been extremely coachable, and we’re seeing improvement because of the effort they’re putting in every day.
Serving is probably our strongest volleyball skill right now. We can put teams under pressure from the service line, and I think that can become a major part of our identity.
“We may still be developing technically, but effort is something we can be elite at right now.”
4: What kind of culture are you trying to build with this group?
I want a culture where hard work, accountability, and character are rewarded.
One message I’ve given the team is that I want opponents to leave the gym saying, “Elma doesn’t give anything away for free.” We want to compete relentlessly while still being known for respect and sportsmanship.
When I asked the players what legacy they wanted to leave, they said they wanted to be remembered for being respectful and showing good sportsmanship. That says a lot about the kind of group they are.
“We want to compete as hard as anyone while representing Elma the right way.”
5:What’s the biggest message you want fans and the community to know about this team?
I want the community to know how hard these girls are working to build something that lasts beyond this season.
They understand that they’re laying the foundation for future Elma volleyball teams, and they’ve taken that responsibility seriously. I hope people come out and support them because they’re putting a lot of pride into representing their school and community.
“These girls aren’t just trying to have a good season — they’re trying to leave the program better than they found it.”
I want to say thank you to Jeremy for giving these answers and I hope to hear from the rest of the fall coaches soon.
Go Eagles!
