CR to feature all-local, speedy roster in 2024

Aug 2 2024

In her first full year as head coach of the College of the Redwoods volleyball team, Kayla Costello is adding plenty of speed to a roster that will feature all local players this fall.

In addition to their three returning sophomores, who have been setting a good example this offseason, the Corsairs have added three more former H-DNL standouts and are expecting a couple of others to join the program within the next few weeks.

“We’re going to be a smaller, faster team this year,” said Costello, who was an assistant under Paul Castillo last year before taking over as interim head coach midway through the season when Castillo had to leave for personal reasons.

The offseason program has been going well for the team, with returning sophomores Kylee Fennell, Caroline Dieker and Olivia Railsback all showing up and leading the way.

Fennell is a Fortuna High graduate, while both Dieker and Railsback are from Arcata.

And the talented trio will be joined this fall by three more Big 5 standouts, including Arcata’s Lillian Rust-Kelley, Fortuna’s Anna Stacy and McKinleyville’s Roenn Doran, all of whom are expected to have an immediate impact with the team.

In addition to the fact that all of these players know each other well, having all locals on the roster means they’ll all be on hand when preseason practice gets under way in late July.

Rust-Kelley graduated from Arcata High a year ago and has been studying at Cal Poly Humboldt.

This year, however, she is opting to return to the volleyball court after playing a key role on the Tigers’ 2021 Big 5 winning team.

And Costello loves the energy and attitude the former Tigers standout brings to the sport.

“She decided she wants to get back into it and play for us,” the CR coach said. “She has great positive energy on the court and she has speed. She runs down the ball well and she reads the ball well.”

Submitted photo – McKinleyville’s Roenn Doran will play for College of the Redwoods this fall.

Rust-Kelley will play back row for the Corsairs, but her coach has confidence in her to play in the front row rotation as well.

Stacy, meanwhile, will be one of the Corsairs’ defensive specialists and has already made her presence felt with her new team.

“She has shown up in the weight room ready to work,” Costello said. “She works super hard and she also has speed.”

Stacy, according to her coach, also has a great attitude and is always looking to learn and improve her game.

“She has a great platform in the back row,” the coach added of the left-handed player.

Doran comes to CR from McKinleyville and will give her new coach a variety of options with her play.

“She’s a very versatile player,” Costello said. “And we’re working her as a setter this spring. I think she’s going to be one of the players I can rely on in sticky situations. I’m really excited to have a versatile player like that.”

CR head coach Kayla Costello with former Arcata Tiger Lillian Rust-Kelley, who will play for the Corsairs this fall.

Doran also is on familiar terms with her new coach and program after showing up for the CR spring volleyball class in each of the past two years.

Fennell, Dieker and Railsback, meanwhile, are all expected to pick up just where they left off last fall when the new season gets under way in late August.

All three have been leading the way this spring and setting a good example for their new teammates, as they look to continue to grow together.

“It’s looking like we’re going to have a fully local group of players this year, which is pretty cool,” Costello said. “It will be easy to get everybody together for the summer. And they’ve all played with or against each other at some point.”

Costello also welcomes a new assistant coach this year, with Macey Hayden, a former Sac State player, joining the staff.