The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
The youth movement is real for Wilson girls’ volleyball this season, with a half-dozen freshmen on the varsity roster in 2026.
Those young Bruins will be tasked with preserving a proud tradition, with six consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 24-14 mark last fall, resulting in a second-place finish in the Moore League.
A big reason for the youth on this year’s roster is the loss of three standout members of the senior class. The talented trio of Simrin Adams, Sadie Calderone and Iyla Alvarado are all focusing on beach volleyball this season and will not play indoors for the Bruins.
“I know our returners are well aware that we lost a lot of our power towards our pins,’ said second-year head coach Gersain Pineda. “They’re sticking together, giving each other the boost that they need to be able to push forward to winning games. It is a young team, but they are adjusting as much as they can. I enjoy watching them grow together and they’re pushing each other to be more aggressive.”
A trio of 9th graders will be in the lineup regularly at the pins, with Niamyiah Bright and Lola Gingsberg playing opposite, and Sophia Quinn emerging as one of the team’s top hitters on the outside. Freshman Natasha Harper should also see time as the second-string setter.
“I’m really excited to see what we can do,” Pineda said. “There’s a really tough schedule that we have to face, so we’re going to do our best to try to get some points out of these teams. But little by little they’ll improve and I think maybe towards the middle of the season, we’ll be better together.”
There will be a few key returners with varsity experience for the Bruins, including 6-foot senior middle Nina Mandalia, who saw lots of court time last season and has improved both as a blocker and a hitter.
Ada Ozduzen also returns and will play outside hitter for the Bruins. She was second string last season, but is hitting the ball much harder this year as she steps into a starting spot.
Junior Sage Darling will step into the starting libero role after being the backup in 2025, and she’s looking forward to making her mark on the roster as one of the main upperclassmen this season.
“I’ve always felt like I’ve been kind of a leader, so it’s been easy to uplift my fellow players,” said Darling. “And we are a younger team, so it’s just been fun figuring out what works. I think we have a lot of talent, and we’re gonna be really good, and I can’t wait to show it this season.”
She says she’s been impressed with the power displayed by both Quinn and Bright swinging at the pins, which has complimented the crop of returning Bruins well.
Wilson will certainly have plenty of chances to show what they can do against a tough schedule and a strong Moore League. Darling said she’s particularly excited for the Bruins’ meeting with Rosary on Aug. 25 after a close loss to them during the offseason.
Moore League play opens for the Bruins on Sep. 8 at Lakewood, followed by a home match against Jordan two days later. Wilson will play consecutive matches against defending league champions, Long Beach Poly, on Sep. 30 at home and Oct. 6 on the road.
