Three cheers

Estrada, Scott and Shpall propel Coyotes into CIF postseason




HOWL—Calabasas High girls’ volleyball players, from left, Eloise Estrada, Emma Shpall and Ally Scott are senior captains. The power trio leads the Coyotes into the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.

HOWL—Calabasas High girls’ volleyball players, from left, Eloise Estrada, Emma Shpall and Ally Scott are senior captains. The power trio leads the Coyotes into the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.

Calabasas High’s girls’ volleyball team enjoyed its best finish in the Marmonte League standings since at least 2004.

What happened before 2004?

We don’t know. Coaches don’t know. The school doesn’t know. Anything pre-2004 is unofficially known as the Dark Ages.

This fall, Calabasas finished second in the Marmonte to perennial powerhouse Westlake. We know that much.

The Coyotes don’t win without the power trio of Ally Scott, Emma Shpall and Eloise Estrada.

“They stand out not only because they’re great kids, they’re good students. They’re willing to work with me as I made changes to the program,” third-year head coach Howard Cahn said of his senior captains.

Scott, an outside hitter, is the squad’s best all-around player.

Shpall, one of the top liberos in the league, excels on defense and is passionate about the team.

Estrada, a standout middle blocker, committed to Johns Hopkins University last week.

GROOVY—Above, Calabasas middle blocker Eloise Estrada during an Oct. 10 match against Newbury Park at home. At right, Calabasas outside hitter Ally Scott celebrates a point.

GROOVY—Above, Calabasas middle blocker Eloise Estrada during an Oct. 10 match against Newbury Park at home. At right, Calabasas outside hitter Ally Scott celebrates a point.

The captains lead the Coyotes (17-12 overall, 5-3 in the Marmonte) into tonight’s CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoff opener at 6 p.m. at home against Downey (17-8 overall).

“I’m so excited,” Shpall said. “We’ve proven to ourselves what an amazing team we are. It shows how far we’ve come.”

The three captains are the only current players who played varsity volleyball as sophomores in 2017; that Calabasas squad staggered to an 8-21 overall record. The goals have changed considerably.

“We want to win CIF and go to state,” Shpall said. “It’ll take more work. It’s not going to be easy getting there, but I have faith in my team. I have faith that we can do it.”

Shpall, 17, was an All-Marmonte first team selection in beach volleyball in the spring. The honors student with a 4.5 GPA is active in student government: She’s the ASB athletics commissioner.

A tutor and camp counselor, Shpall wants to spend her life educating children as an elementary school teacher. Her brother, Jake, a Calabasas freshman, also plays volleyball.

Photos by MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

Photos by MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

Shpall praised her teammates.

“We’ve put in the hard work,” she said. “It’s taken a few years to work out the kinks. I love being part of this team.”

Scott, who earned the team’s most improved player award last year, has been a scholar athlete all four years of high school. The Coyote, who sports a 4.2 GPA, wants to study environmental science at UC Santa Barbara, Northeastern or Tulane.

She’s matured into a force on the court.

“I’ve become a lot more vocal and more of a leader,” Scott said. “My hitting overall has improved a lot. I’m able to get more balls up on defense.”

The Coyotes aren’t flashy. They win with defense and grit, the senior said.

“We don’t have that 6-foot-4 player who can hit it down with a kill,” Scott said. “It’s always a team effort. We’re a scrappy team.”

Scott’s father, Jeff, played college basketball at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Her mom, Sharon, grew up competing in gymnastics. Ally Scott’s twin brother, Charlie, plays baseball for the Coyotes.

SPIRIT—Calabasas libero Emma Shpall high-fives teammates before an Oct. 10 home match.

SPIRIT—Calabasas libero Emma Shpall high-fives teammates before an Oct. 10 home match.

Scott has overcome injuries throughout high school, including a fractured back before her freshman season. She and teammate Molly Gallenberg founded Safe Bae, a club to educate students about sexual assault and harassment.

Estrada, the tallest player on the roster at 6-foot-1, committed to Johns Hopkins on Oct. 17—the same day she visited the Baltimore school.

The Coyote flew into town the night before on a red-eye flight. She spent the day meeting the coach and players, and she committed before jumping on a flight home that night.

“The academics are incredible there. I want to pursue a career in medicine,” Estrada said. “The campus is beautiful. Teammates were warm and welcoming. Overall, it felt like a great place to be.”

Estrada, an honors student with a 4.4 GPA who notched a score of 34 on the ACT, will major in biology on a pre-med track at Johns Hopkins.

Follow sports editor Eliav Appelbaum on Twitter @EliavAppelbaum.

Follow sports editor Eliav Appelbaum on Twitter @EliavAppelbaum.

The gracious captain credited her fellow Coyotes for her growth on the court.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do anything without my teammates,” Estrada said. “I’m really grateful for them.”

Estrada’s twin sister, Alyce, plays basketball for Calabasas. They’re the daughters of Dorothy and Ramon Estrada, and their maternal grandfather, Mike Hibler, played volleyball and basketball at UCLA.

Before heading out to Baltimore, Eloise Estrada is focused on the postseason.

“We’ve been preparing so long for the playoffs,” she said. “Now that we’re here, it’s time to show how our hard work has paid off. . . .

“I’m excited to play the sport I love with my teammates.”

Calabasas didn’t win a single match from 2006 to 2010. The team won two outings in 2011. Four years ago, the Coyotes went 24-7-1, and they’ve qualified for the postseason four of the past five seasons.

The Dark Ages are over.

Welcome to the Calabasas Golden Age.

IN A NUTSHELL

Ally Scott, Emma Shpall and Eloise Estrada are senior captains for the Calabasas High girls’ volleyball team.

The Coyotes finished second in the Marmonte League, the team’s best finish in league since at least 2004.

Molly Gallenberg, Bronte Mark, Olivia Alongi, Kristen Tabakian and Nicole Ross (who’s a softball captain) are Calabasas seniors. Nina Abby and Ellie Walters (she also plays soccer) are juniors to watch.

Calabasas opens the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs at 6 tonight at home against Downey.