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The Arcata Tigers’ success on the volleyball court this fall was not just limited to the varsity team.

On Tuesday night, the Arcata girls won the Big 5 outright after Eureka defeated Del Norte, giving the Tigers a first league title at the varsity level since 2021.

But the school’s JVs were arguably even more impressive in league play this year, winning all eight of their Big 5 games with a perfect run through conference on their way to the championship.

And they did it with a roster of 11 freshmen and one sophomore, all of whom were playing at the high school level for the first time ever.

But despite their relative youth, the players came together quickly and that ultimately paved the way to the league championship.

Head coach Amy Monier, in her fourth year with the program, sensed this was a special group from the opening day of practice.

“Coming into the season you could see they were such a dynamic, naturally athletic group with a more advanced skill set,” she said. “And they really found their rhythm and started gelling together as a team early on.

“The team chemistry was just amazing this year.”

As you would expect from a league championship roster, several players stood out, including influential outside hitter Betty Miles.

The standout freshman helped set the tone for her teammates and had an immediate impact.

“She worked hard every single day and her skill set exploded exponentially throughout the season,” Monier said. 

Another freshman, Karely Ruiz, helped anchor a solid defensive team as the Tigers’ starting libero.

There were nights when it appeared as if there were two of her out on the court.

“She was huge for our defense,” the head coach said. “Her natural athleticism and ability to get to any ball on the court stood out, and her skill set was amazing as well.”

Sisters Lilly Bowman and Lotus Bowman also impressed for the team as setters, and the dynamic duo helped set their teammates up for success every night.

According to their head coach, the two sisters really grew together as the season progressed.

On the right, Ellie White also played a pivotal role for the team and she did so in more ways than one.

“She came in with a really positive attitude,” the coach said. “And she’s real team centric when she plays.”

Colby Eisner also played a huge role for the team at middle hitter.

“She was a major threat at the net for us with blocking and hitting,” Monier said.

Sophomore Navah Haskell and freshmen Amara Champ, Colbie Collins, India Croy, Tea Waters and Wren Hall round out the talented roster, and all of them played important roles, according to the coach.

“It’s interesting this year because we had so many team leaders out there,” Monier said. “And they all worked to support each other on the team.”

It was also a balanced roster with strong defense, a dynamic offense and reliable serving.

“We had great athletes on the outside and we were pretty consistent on our defense,” the head coach added. “They really learned to work together.”

Despite having a completely different roster this fall, this was the second straight undefeated season for the Arcata JVs, and that points to a bright future for the program in general.

And Monier is excited to see what the future holds for this year’s JV players as they get set to move on to the varsity level in the future.

“I’m looking forward to next year to see how much they grow,” the head coach said. “They have so much potential.”

Assistant coach Kat Rifilato also played a key role on the path to success with this year’s team.

“I’m really lucky to have her,” Monier said of the former Cal Poly Humboldt player.