By Adam Sutro '25
With each fall sports team a few games into the season, I was beckoned back to the journalistic trail. For a week, I lived in a hut outside the Baldwin Gymnasium, just as a sponge rests upon the ocean floor, taking in everything, and letting no vital source of information escape my grasp. I have observed. I have listened. I have taken note. This is the 2024 Cougar Fall Sports Informational, brought to you by Adam Sutro.
Girls Varsity Volleyball
The girls varsity volleyball team after picking up their first league win of the season versus Bentley.
ROSTER:
Head Coach: Monica Lyman
Assistant Coach: Courtney Vu
Position key: L = libero, M = middle, O = outside hitter, S = setter, U = utility,
Order of roster info: position: name, class (height, birthplace, skill, idol player/person, shoe brand)
O: Livia Mazniker ‘25 (5’6”, Berkeley CA, Hitting, Kendall Kipp/Michelle Obama, Nike Crossovers)
M: Deirdre Brown ‘26 (5’7”, Hayward CA, Blocking, Regla Torres, Nike)
O: Hoda Hekmat ‘26 (5’5”, San Ramon CA, Passing, Morgan Hentz, Adidas Harden Vol. 6)
S: Jasmine Mongue ‘26 (5’5”, Oakland CA, Setting, Karch Kiraly, Nike)
S: Jaya Basra ‘27 (5’6”, Walnut Creek CA, Setting, Paige Pak, Lebron Witness 7)
M/O: Madwoa Hutchful ‘27 (5’8”, Berkeley CA, Hitting, Maggie Li, Mizuno)
O: Anya Jain ‘27 (5’7”, Redwood City CA, Hitting, Brie Eisenberg, Asics)
L: Paige Pak ‘27 (5’5”, Dallas TX, Digging, Zoe Fleck, Nike Sabrina 1s)
U: Athena Tarnas ‘27 (5’4”, Berkeley CA, Serving, Lexi Rodriguez,
Mizuno Wave Momentum 3s)
Daniela Kong ‘28
Margot Yan ‘28
Sylvia Lidskey ‘25
Captains:
Jasmine Mongue '26, Livia Mazniker '25
Exited Seniors ('24):
Scout Ikels
Nicole Serrano
SCHEDULE:
Games to date:
Alameda L, Convent & Stuart Hall L, International W, Athenian W, Head-Royce L, Archbishop Riordan L, St. Joseph’s L, Bentley W, Benicia L
Rivalry games:
Athenian - away (9/27), Head-Royce - home (10/8),
Remaining home schedule:
Berean Christian (9/17), San Domenico (9/19), Bay School (9/24), Urban (9/25), St. Joseph’s (10/1), Redwood Christian (10/4), Cornerstone Christian (10/17), Valley Christian (10/18)
TEAM INSIGHT:
When examining the roster of College Prep’s girls varsity volleyball team, there’s something that is inherently different from the rest of the fall sports teams: the team has more lowerclassmen (7) than upperclassmen (5).
On a high school sports team, where the number of coaches are often limited—the girls varsity volleyball team only really has two coaches, Monica and Courtney—the importance of upperclassmen leadership is extremely important. However, talking to members of this team, I’ve gotten the sense that the group’s big lowerclassmen presence has actually been invigorating.
Livia Mazniker '25, one of the team’s two captains, explained this invigoration, saying that the “young presence of the team brings a lot of excitement” to the squad, adding on later that the young players make the captains’ job easier, as they’re more likely to listen to upperclassmen voices.
Of the lowerclassmen, the sophomores especially have enjoyed the younger team dynamics. There are five sophomores on the varsity volleyball team this year, three of whom—Jaya, Paige, and Athena—remain close friends off the court.
Jaya echoed this sentiment in an interview, stating: “Varsity sports can be really stressful, and having your friends there makes it more fun and less stressful.”
So the team chemistry is there, but what about the dynamics of the team on the court? Keep an eye out for Paige Pak '27, the newest installment of the Pak siblings, a legendary College Prep athletic family. Pak is the team’s libero, and though she’s just a sophomore, the word throughout campus is that she’s already one of the team's premier players. Pak is a skilled passer, always putting her body on the line, getting on the floor to dig big hits and serves.
Hoda Hekmat '26, a junior, is another player to watch out for, and a major point scorer for the team. Hekmat is an explosive player, who hits the ball hard (which you’d know even from watching her at intramurals), and strives for consistency in all aspects of the game. You’re sure to see a Jasmine-Hoda set-to-hit link up if you come out for a volleyball game this year!
So far, College Prep is 3-5 on the season, but they’ve already taken down Athenian and hope to pick up a few more key victories in league play in the games leading up to BCL playoffs.
Girls Varsity Tennis
Members of the girls varsity tennis team after their 6-1 win against San Domenico.
ROSTER:
Head Coach: Jeff Machle
Order of roster info: position: name, class (height, birthplace, best groundstroke, idol player/person, shoe brand)
Makeda Faxio ‘25 (5’3”, Sidama, Ethiopia, Forehand, Aryna Sabalenka, Asics)
Leah Luchansky ‘25 (5’7”, Oakland CA, Forehand, Naomi Osaka, Asics)
Aanya Shamdasani ‘25 (5’2”, San Francisco CA, Forehand, Jannik Sinner, Asics)
Lexi Zhu ‘25 (5’7”, Shanghai CHI, Backhand, Miffy, Adidas)
Hana Alhamadsheh ‘26 (5’4”, Portland OR, Forehand, Serena Williams, Wilson)
Sophia Bitton ‘26 (5’7”, New York NY, Backhand, Coco Gauff, K-Swiss)
Gia Chabra ‘26 (5’4”)
Daphne Green ‘26 (5’5”, San Francisco CA, Backhand, Elena Rybakina, Asics)
Irene Moore ‘26 (5’5”, San Francisco CA, Forehand, Snoopy, Asics)
Surina Pugh ‘27 (5’3”, Oakland CA, Backhand, Ben Shelton, New Balance)
Louisa (Lulu) Simons ‘27 (5’11”, Berkeley CA, Forehand, Aryna Sabalenka, New Balance)
Maya Alhamadsheh ‘28
Sophie Downs ‘28 (5’3.5”, San Francisco CA, Backhand, Billie Jean King, Asics)
Jessie Hu ‘28
Gia Jhaveri ‘28 (5’3”, Oakland CA, Forehand, Coco Gauff, Asics)
Captains:
Aanya Shamdasani '25, Leah Luchansky '25, Lexi Zhu '25, Makeda Faxio '25
Exited Seniors ('24):
Adele Beamer
Miriam (Mimi) Campbell
Natalie Goldberg
Angela Wang
SCHEDULE:
Games to date:
James Logan W, University L, Lick Wilmerding L, Berkeley L, Convent & Stuart Hall W, International W, San Domenico W
Rivalry Games:
Head-Royce - away (9/19), Athenian - home (10/3), Head-Royce - home (10/8), Athenian - away (10/23)
Remaining home schedule:
Urban (9/18), Redwood Christian (10/1), Bentley (10/18), St. Joseph’s (10/25)
TEAM INSIGHT:
“Best team on campus.”
That’s what Aanya Shamdasani '25, and the other senior members of the Girls Varsity Tennis team, have told me for years. However, there was something totally different about the team this year, which was felt by the senior captains entering the season.
Gone was the class of 2024, a class at the center of a “Golden Age” of College Prep girls tennis, in which team chemistry and athletic performance reached new heights. Shamdasani and Luchansky formed everlasting bonds with their class of ‘24 teammates, and were saddened to see them graduate and leave for college last spring. On all high school teams, every year, there are seniors that graduate; however, for the tennis team, these losses seemed to hit a little bit harder.
The impact of the departing seniors was not just felt emotionally: there was a performance gap to bridge as well. Last year’s season was a great success for the College Prep tennis team. Particularly noteworthy was the BCL doubles tournament, where College Prep’s two premier doubles teams—Sophia Bitton '26 and Natalie Goldberg '24, and Leah Luchansky '25 and Adele Beamer '24—beat out all other doubles teams to face each other in the finals, where Bitton and Goldberg emerged as tournament champions. As a team, there was much rejoicing as well, since the squad finished as BCL runner-ups, after taking Head-Royce to seven sets and losing 4-3, and NCS quarterfinalists.
With big shoes to fill, senior captains Aanya, Leah, Makeda, and Lexi have stepped up to the plate, immediately making their leadership presence felt among the lowerclassmen. For the captains, it started by establishing a team chemistry base, keeping the good vibes rolling from seasons prior. Before the school year even started, the team had a team dinner at Cholita Linda, inviting the graduated seniors to join and show the freshmen what College Prep tennis is all about. A few weeks later, the seniors took that chemistry to a whole new level: Shamdasani hosted a team sleepover, and the tennis team spent a night together bonded as not just teammates, but as friends.
“The senior leaders have definitely done a good job of transitioning smoothly this year,” says Surina Pugh '27.
For lowerclassmen like Pugh, the captains serve as role models, senior leaders who the team knows they can come to whenever for whatever.
“They’re mentors for sure,” added Lulu Simons '27.
It’s with this team chemistry that the girls varsity tennis team will look to attack the season. The group is 4-3 so far, and is ready for some big matches against Head-Royce in the weeks to come. Look out for more wins, more tongues out (iykyk), and lots and lots of fun!
Boys Varsity Soccer
The boys varsity soccer team posing in uniform pre-match.
ROSTER:
Head Coach: Aaron Dickey
Assistant Coach: Mumbi Kwesele
Position key: D = defender, F = forward, GK = goalkeeper, MF = midfielder
Order of roster info: position: name, class (height, birthplace, skill, idol player/person, cleat brand)
F: Hassan Ahmed ‘25 (5’9”, London ENG, Dribbling, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nike Vaporfly 16)
Peter Bristol ‘25
Tobias "Toby" Burkoth ‘25
F: Charlie Garcia ‘25 (5’9”, Berkeley CA, Passing, Luka Modrić, Adidas)
D: Orhan Hosten-Mittermaier ‘25 (5’9”, Oakland CA, Composure, Gerald Pique, Nike Tiempos)
Conrad Lo ‘25
Brendan Long ‘25
GK: Edward Rubio ‘25 (5’7”, San Francisco CA, Reaction Time, Manuel Neuer, Nike Tiempos)
MF: Jules Wolff-Merovick ‘25 (5’11”, New Haven CT, Passing, Kevin De Bruyne, Puma)
F: Levi C. ‘26 (5’8”, Berkeley CA, Pressing, Erling Haaland, Adidas)
Max Wong ‘26
Jonathan Woo ‘26
D: Nathan Acharya ‘27 (5’8”, New Brunswick NJ, 1-on-1 Defending, Virgil van Dijk, Adidas)
D: Vickram Agarwal ‘27 (5’7”, San Francisco CA, Defending, Roy Keene, Adidas Predators)
Lucas Beamer ‘27
D: Oliver Beamer ‘27 (5’10”, Boston MA, Vision, Reece James, Adidas)
Akash D. ‘27
Desmond Hartigan-O'Connor ‘27
F: Pelayo Llamas III ‘27 (5’9”, San Francisco CA, Speed, Thierry Henry, Mizuno & Adidas)
Qadir Williams ‘27
Captains:
Brendan Long '25, Jules Wolff-Merovick '25, Orhan Hosten-Mittermaier '25, Tobias Burkoth '25
Exited Seniors ('24):
Baron Boykin
Aaron Chen
Eliot Huang
Kevin Landaverde
Max Wolff-Merovick
SCHEDULE:
Games to date:
Bay School L, Gateway T, Jewish Community L, International L, Sonoma L
Rivalry games:
Athenian - away (9/27), Head-Royce - away (10/4), Athenian - home (10/29), Head-Royce - home (11/1)
The Remaining Home Schedule:
St. Joseph’s (9/24), Making Waves (10/8), Bentley (10/18)
TEAM INSIGHT:
To play club, or to not play club? That is the question that often defines the roster composition of College Prep’s varsity boys soccer team.
College Prep, unlike most high schools in America, has their soccer season in the Fall instead of during the winter. Club soccer teams typically take a break during the winter season to allow players to play for their schools. But there is no club break during the fall season, meaning club soccer players are forced to choose to play club, school, or both—an almost impossible scheduling challenge for College Prep students who also have to navigate a rigorous academic workload.
Over the offseason, four key soccer talents chose to play club soccer instead of school soccer: Abidan Abraham '26, Bastian Boykin ‘26, Noah Beltran '25 and Michael Borovikov ‘25. Abraham and Boykin were key contributors for the team last season, and were expected by many to continue to play for the team this season. Beltran and Borovikov, on the other hand, have chosen to play club for two consecutive seasons, making the critical decision this year to keep playing club in the middle of college recruitment (watch out for their commitments later this year). When asked about their decisions to play club soccer, Boykin and Beltran were both mum.
“Sometimes a decision has to be made,” said Boykin, while Beltran refused to offer any comments on the matter.
Unfortunately, Abraham and Boykin were not the only key elements that the boys soccer team lost this offseason. The team lost five seniors to graduation, and lost their coach, Michael Osei-Amoako, who made the decision to coach a club team.
As a result of a rough offseason, the expectations around campus for the soccer team are slightly lower this season. In the past two seasons, the team has collected a lot of hardware, including two BCL titles and an NCS D2 championship in 2022. However, the team is off to a rough start, and is yet to secure a victory. Can the team right the ship and silence their naysayers by securing the BCL three-peat?
On the positive side, Orhan Hosten-Mittermaier '25, another club soccer player, opted-in to the team for his senior season, and is confident about the squad’s ability to get the ball rolling.
Talking to Hosten-Mittermaier about the team’s chances, he acknowledged that wins were gonna be harder to come by this season, but also had “high hopes” for the season ahead.
Lucas Beamer '27, concurred with Hosten-Mittermaier’s confidence, stating that the energy on the team is high, and that the squad has looked good in recent practices. Beamer credited the seniors for creating this energy, and specifically for “bridging the gap between the new coaches and the players.”
On the field, the group does not have as much star power as in year’s past, but plays a gritty, grind-it-out style that they think is capable of getting the job done.
“We have a direct play-style," Hosten-Mittermaier said, explaining that they “keep opponents to low scores”, and try to eke out minor victories by capitalizing on a couple of explosive plays.
“Scoring for us,” Hosten-Mittermaier stated, “looks like a couple short passes and then a good through ball to break the lines to attacking mids, like Long, Woo, and Desai. These mids then find Hartigan-O'Connor and Llamas (the forwards) to score.”
My professional prediction? College Prep falls to a gritty and hungry Head-Royce squad, and fails to defend their BCL title. Yes, I’m one of the doubters; but hopefully in October this team will be able to say that they proved me wrong.
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