Paige Wolny has been named female Brahma of the semester by the Roundup sports editors. During her season, Wolny was sixth in the state in goals with 26 and finished as the team’s leader in points. Her play allowed the Brahmas to finish second in the conference and put Pierce in the playoffs for the 14th consecutive year. The sophomore also participated in the sophomore showcase at Mt. San Antonio and scored a goal for her team. She has multiple offers from Division I, Division II and Division III schools.
This year your team consistently had the best year out of all the Pierce sports in the fall semester, why was this team so competitive?
“The season went fairly well. It kind of came down to one game so it was a little disappointing that we couldn’t win conference but I think we did well collectively and we enjoyed ourselves this year.”
On the field you were the ultimate opportunist and the ball somehow always found its way to you in the right spot. How were you able to play the way you did throughout the season and get results?
“I think my goal this year as a player was to have good vision on the field which led to me scoring a good amount of goals. I always tried to move off the ball and put myself in a position where I was an effective player and help the offense on our attack.”
What was it like going from a Division III school in Kansas to coming to the environment at Pierce?
“It was great in pretty much every aspect of my life. I like being in California better with my family and I enjoyed the girls here. They were the best and it was good weather to play in all year. It really helps motivate me as a player.”
What was the atmosphere like on your team this year?
“The atmosphere was great on and off the field. Our team was really cohesive on the field because we were like a family, so that really helped. The girls got along really well and we acted more like sisters than teammates. I think that will translate next year into their play and we have girls coming back that are natural leaders and I’m sure that will show. They have continued to pave the way, to be a strong force on our team next year.”
What was your favorite memory of the year?
“It was the van rides to our games all year. I was one of the crazier fans so we would listen to music, get excited and have a lot of laughs before and after games. After, if we won.”
Out of head coach Adolfo Perez and assistant coaches Juan Plascencia, William Diaz and Cruz Hernandez who had the best taste in music during the road trips?
“Definitely Willy [Diaz]. He has a lot of good music and definitely throws it back a lot with some slow jams. Those are definitely always fun to listen to.”
What did you learn from head coach Adolfo Perez this year?
“He is a great head coach because he expects great things from his players. He is always verbally pushing us and giving us a lot of running to do which is strenuous on our body. So he is always pushing us mentally and physically as players. He does a great job at it and he is a hard (sic), that’s for sure.”
What was it like playing in the sophomore showcase this year?
“It was great. I got to play with some of the best players in our conference and it was humbling. I got to talk to a few coaches afterward and got some emails. It was a nice opportunity to show my skills to a wide variety of coaches.”
What is this team going to have to do in order to compete for a state championship?
“They definitely are going to have to work hard throughout the season. It takes a lot on your body towards the end of the season, but they just have to recognize that the pain is only temporary. They just need to push through it and push through to the end.”