With three years of playing experience on the girls varsity volleyball team under her belt, senior Gwen Chenoweth is ensuring that the legacy she leaves behind is one of leadership both on the court and off. Her consistency and competitive spirit are what makes Chenoweth a standout player, and this edition’s selection for Athlete of the Month. 

Chenoweth is a setter on the varsity volleyball team and has enjoyed a successful high school career at Santa Barbara High, but her love for the sport came much earlier. Born into an athletic family, Chenoweth played every sport she could, including soccer, tennis, basketball, and gymnastics. She often spent her free time peppering with her sister in their backyard before she officially began playing volleyball in the fourth grade. “My sister and mom played volleyball all throughout high school and they were also setters, so just seeing my older sister play at (SBHS)…It seemed super fun so I wanted to join the club volleyball team, and that’s where I really found the love for the sport,” Chenoweth said of her journey to focusing on volleyball. By the time she entered high school, Chenoweth was already showing immense promise on the court. As a freshman she made it onto the junior varsity team, becoming the youngest player on the squad. Even as the rookie of the squad, Chenoweth felt that, “Playing with all of the older girls gave me a sense of community and they taught me so many life lessons, and it really helped me grow my leadership skills and meet such amazing people.” 

As senior captain of the varsity team, Chenoweth has seen a lot of growth in her mental and physical game over the past four years. Now that she’s the oldest on the court, she has “grown a voice” and become a leader for her younger teammates to look up to, providing advice, guidance, and even help with homework for her underclassmen counterparts. “On the court when they get in their heads or in ruts, I always remind them to shake it off…Since they are so young and most of them have never played on varsity before, they get a little bit stressed, especially in high pressure situations…I just help them reel it back in and remind them that it’ll be okay,” Chenoweth explained. “I always looked up to all the seniors when I was a freshman, so now to be a senior it’s just a full circle moment that I was definitely ready for.”

SBHS girls volleyball faced many obstacles this season after graduating a number of their starting players last year, but Chenoweth took her role as captain of the new team in stride. While this season “started out rough” for the Dons with five straight opening losses, the team has progressed steadily under Chenoweth’s leadership, and SBHS is now tied with Ventura High School for second place in the Channel League. One of the highlights of Chenoweth’s time playing at SBHS came this season with a close win over San Marcos, where the Dons beat the Royals 3-2 in sets. “We’ve definitely improved, and it’s been nice to see our hard work in practice pay off…Since our team is so new…it’s been good to see our improvement,” Chenoweth shared. 

Varsity Volleyball Coach Kristin Hempy has enjoyed her time working with Chenoweth, saying, “She’s really competitive. She really wants to win, so she helps her teammates be better…(In) her role as the setter…she facilitates a lot of things, so seeing her take that leadership role, helping a lot of the younger players, and then having that competitive drive, it sets a nice tone.” During Chenoweth’s sophomore year and her first year on varsity, she often competed with other upperclassmen setters for playing time. Now, however, Hempy has seen her improve drastically, serving the team with her consistency and ability to make more technical plays. Earlier in the season, Chenoweth received Honorable Mention for Athlete of the Week from the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table based on her impressive stats when it comes to assists, consistently making it into the thirties and sometimes forties for assists per match. According to Hempy, Chenoweth’s greatest asset to the team is her consistency in sets and serves. “Her competitiveness is appreciated…She’s in it to win it…(She) holds the bar high and holds our team accountable for the high level of play we need to be at,” Hempy said. 

As Dons volleyball makes their way into CIF playoffs, Chenoweth’s prowess as a setter and her dedication to her team are sure to lead the team to many more successes. “I hope the girls will remember me for (being) someone super positive on the court and always trying my hardest. I’m known as a very big competitor so I’ll bet they remember me for that,” Chenoweth concluded with a smile. 

[Image Credit: Malakai Castaneda]