Comets looking to improve on last season

SAN MARCOS, CA (8/25/2022) -- Palomar women's volleyball is looking to build on what they had going last season. Losing arguably the best middle they've had in recent years, head coach Karl Seiler needed to fill a hole. That spot was handed to sophomore Rachael Cooke, a 5-10 sophomore from Mission Hills High School. Last season Cooke recorded 10 assisted blocks and one solo block. She had a hitting percentage of .216%. Cooke is joined on the court by fellow sophomores, setter Kenna Broach, libero Amaya Garcia and outside hitter Brynn Wallander.

With only four returners this season, the Comets are learning to play with one another to become a united team. They have added freshman Lacey Garcia, a crafty lefty opposite hitter from Oceanside High School along with Savanna Lewis, a 5-11 outside hitter from Del Norte High School. Ashlynn Craven (Fallbrook High School), Bailey Prieto (Escondido High School) and Madison Strunk (Escondido High School) will join Garcia as the defensive specialists this season. 

The Comets will play a similar schedule to last season, opening up with San Bernandino Valley College on Friday, August 26th and will host College of the Desert on August 31st for their home opener. They will then head to the Santiago Canyon Quad where they will face Orange Empire Conference schools host Santiago Canyon and Santa Ana College. Their final nonconference matchup will be against Saddleback College in the Dome on Sept. 7th. 

Last season the Comets finished the season 8-12 overall and 6-8 in conference play, one of their best finishes since 2017.