WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) – This month provided Maria Mendiola with a full circle moment as she signed on to take over the Yellowjacket volleyball program, the same one she once played in herself during her four years at Williams High School.
However, Mendiola isn’t a stranger to the program having coached at the JV level for the past three years including guiding her team to a first place league finish with an unbeaten record against conference opponents 2025, which she hopes will carry over to the upcoming season.
Yet, in spite of making her varsity debut, she understands what it takes to be a coach given that her father, Tomas, has been a longtime coach in the county as she explained, I grew up around sports because my dad was always coaching. It’s definitely something that runs in our family. Now I have a trade off with my parents though, I used to help and keep stats or a book and now they help me.”
So far Mendiola feels things are moving in the right direction, with the squad forming a small travel club to get some additional court time and believes that the sky is the limit for the group which she describes as “eager to learn and willing to work.”
Williams will open its season on Aug. 7 making the short trip to Arbuckle to take on Pierce.