El Estoque: When did you first start coaching volleyball, and what do you love most about it?

Colin Anderson: I began at MVHS in the fall of 2000 and coached JV at first. I was mostly a basketball player through high school and college, but I started playing volleyball after college because it’s a good social sport. It’s really fun and in general; volleyball players are friendly, supportive and not overly competitive.

EE: As a coach, how do you deal with a tough loss, and how do you bring your team back up when they’re down?

CA: I try to emphasize what we did well, what worked well and what we can learn from the match to be better in the next one. You can’t measure everything in wins and losses; sometimes, it’s about the experience. We had a great match last week against Gunn High School, and even though we lost, the team felt really good about it because it was one of the best games we’ve ever played. Even if we didn’t get the final score we wanted, at that point, that wasn’t the most important thing.

EE: Can you name a time when you felt really proud of your team?

CA: That’s hard to answer because I’m often proud of them. We play in the second toughest league in Northern California and we have played against many college players or high schoolers who have gone on to play for their college. We get challenged every night out there, and we do well, so it’s hard to name one specific moment. Overall, we get to play the kind of high level volleyball that most high school teams don’t, and I’m just very proud of the way the team handles that.

EE: What are you looking forward to this season and what do you hope your team will accomplish?

CA: I want us to continue to improve as we have been the past few years. We also want to make the playoffs and hopefully do well. Basically, we’re looking to be very competitive against some tough teams that will definitely make us bring out our best game.

EE: What qualities do you look for in a player and what stands out to you?

CA: Their attitude, their willingness to learn, their skill set and their personality are the most important. This year, we’re blessed to have good players that get along well.

EE: What’s your advice for anyone who wants to give volleyball a try?

CA: Try to play as much volleyball as you can and maybe join the MV Volleyball Club. Definitely come to some games, and if you have time, try to play and improve as much as you can in the off season by joining a club team.

The next home game is Tuesday, Oct. 14 against Los Gatos High School at 3:30 p.m.