What Maritza Chavolla accomplished this season would be impressive for any high school volleyball player. Considering what she had to overcome just to get on the court, it seems almost miraculous.
Chavolla, who plays volleyball, basketball and softball at Tulelake, suffered a serious knee injury during basketball season last year. By her estimate, there was a “90 percent chance” she would need surgery.
It turned out that she didn’t, and after months of physical therapy–which she continues to attend–Chavolla was ready for her junior season as the Tulelake volleyball team’s setter, much to the delight of her coaches, Frankie McAuliffe and Michelle Staunton.
“She is not only a great setter, but she’s a great leader on the team,” Staunton said. “You can just see it in her eyes that she wants to win and that she also is trying to include everyone to make them feel like part of the team.”
The Honkers have won a lot with Chavolla, amassing a record of 60-17 over her first three seasons and losing just one Evergreen League match. They’ve advanced to the Northern Section CIF Division VI semifinals in each of the past two years.
Individually, Chavolla was named Evergreen League MVP as a freshman and earned honorable mention as a sophomore (the 2023 all-league selections will be released later this month). Her 468 assists this season ranked 16th in the NSCIF–which contains 58 volleyball teams across six divisions with Tulelake among the smallest schools represented–and 168th in California.
While Chavolla is most renowned for her setting ability, she’s also a proficient server. Her career serving percentage stands at 94.2% on 978 attempts with an ace percentage of 19.4%.
“She is the person that you want to be serving when it’s 22-24, game point,” Staunton said.
With career totals of 1,214 assists, 190 aces, 280 digs and 72 kills after her junior season, Chavolla will have a chance to reach several statistical milestones next year. Her coach has a particularly ambitious goal for her.
“I would like to see her hit that 2,000 [assist] milestone,” Staunton said. “I do believe it is possible. We usually have lots of games scheduled in a season.”
Next year could be special for the Honkers, too; they went 25-6 and 12-0 in Evergreen League play this season with no seniors on the roster. Both Staunton and Chavolla said it was an especially tight-knight group.
“We had great chemistry,” Staunton said.
“I felt like this team was more open to being friendly,” Chavolla said. “We had a really good bond.”
Once her high school career is over, Chavolla, who started playing volleyball in third grade, hopes to join a club team while pursuing trade school. Regardless of what the future holds, Staunton feels that Chavolla has already established herself as a role model in Tulelake–especially for younger Hispanic girls–with her hustle and spirit.
“Everyone has made compliments about her to me for three years after games,” Staunton said. “She is just a wonderful person in school, at practice and outside of school.
“I hope that she can continue to be an inspiration.”
