Back Where She Started

Jorgensborg Raises Corpus Christi Volleyball Program to New Heights

If any coach knows what it takes to win it is Palisadian Haley Jorgensborg. If ever a group of players was willing to heed her advice it was 13 girls on the Corpus Christi volleyball team this fall. Together, coach and players formed a strong bond and lifted the program to a level it has never reached before. Corpus Christi took third place in the Catholic Youth Organization playoffs–its highest finish ever. The three-week long tournament involved 64 teams from throughout Southern California and Corpus rebounded from a semifinal loss to St. Thomas to beat St. Mark’s in a three-game thriller to capture the bronze medal earlier this month. “I remember how it was to be their age and I wanted to give something back,” says Jorgensborg, a 1998 Corpus Christi graduate who went on to enjoy a standout prep career at Marymount High and later played for two seasons at UCLA. “I miss playing but I’ve really enjoyed coaching. I’ve never seen a group of girls this good at this age.” Jorgensborg transferred to the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she graduated in May with a degree in Communications. Jorgensborg enjoyed her two years in Colorado, where she discovered her ‘other’ passion: snowboarding. “I went to three schools on Sunset [Corpus, Marymount and UCLA] so I needed a change,” she says. Back home in the Palisades Highlands for the summer, she began working with Corpus Christi’s team two hours a day in August and quickly developed a rapport with her players. “I have my own style, I don’t really model my coaching after one individual,” Jorgensborg confesses. “The main thing I stress in practice is just to work hard and have fun doing it.” Corpus Christi’s roster reads like a who’s who of local talent. Almost every girl plays club volleyball in the off-season and the most challenging job for Jorgensborg was finding ways to get each of her ‘all stars’ playing time. “What’s great about Haley is that she lets everyone play,” says seventh-grader Lanti Moye-McClaren, who plays outside hitter. “Even when we were up against a good team. She’s a tough coach but if we do something wrong she tells us how to fix it.” Fellow seventh-grader and hitter Christine Irvin agreed with her teammate about Jorgensborg: “She’s been our best coach so far. The drills she has us run really help us.” Eighth-grader Haley Tipton says the camaraderie the players enjoyed was a key to Corpus Christi’s success: “We’re all friends, we all know each other, most of us play together. This season was special and it also prepared us well for club.” Seventh-grader Lauren Waters, a middle blocker, was not certain the team would gel when the season began: “I honestly didn’t think we were going to be as good as we became. Everyone improved so much’not just on our own but as a team.” Eighth-grader Allie Hinds credits Jorgensborg with helping her hone her skills as a setter: “I like to handle the ball a lot and she showed me ways to improve my footwork and my hands, which are really important for my position.” Eighth-grade hitter Morgan Alessini recalls a timeout during the third-place match against St. Mark’s when her coach’s words of wisdom helped them pull out the decisive game 17-15. “She told us this is the last playoff game and we have nothing to lose so just play your hardest.” Rounding out Corpus Christi’s squad were eighth-graders Taylor Bantle (middle blocker), Katie Newell (setter) and Emma Castillo (defensive specialist) and seventh-graders Erica Wahlgren (right side hitter), Meghan Middleton (middle blocker), Sophie Zaloom (middle blocker) and Courtney Levan (defensive specialist). “They were awesome,” Jorgensborg says. “I’m so proud of them. They learned to trust each other, they worked towards one goal and they came together as a team. That’s all a coach can ask.”