They played together as high school sophomores on a club volleyball team and won a national championship in 2022.
Two years later, Nicole Schuetz and Eliana Urzua are together again as members of a potent Bishop Diego’s girls volleyball team.
The seniors paced a powerful attack in the Cardinals’ 25-13, 25-15, 25-18 sweep against Villanova Prep in a Tri-Valley League match Tuesday night at the Brick House Gym. Each blasted nine kills and served four aces, as Bishop improved to 13-0 for the season and 2-0 in league play. Villanova Prep fell to 8-3 and 1-1.
Urzua, a UCLA commit for indoor volleyball, has been a household name in the Brick House for the last four years. She was the CIF-SS Division 7 Player of the Year as a freshman in 2021 and named All-CIF Division 5 as a sophomore.
Schuetz transferred to Bishop this school year from Santa Barbara High, where she was a two-year starting middle and a two-time All-Channel League honoree.
The Loyola Marymount commit was playing in her second match for the Cardinals on Tuesday after serving the CIF-required Sit Out Period for first-time transfers.
“I’ve been practicing for like two months, so there’s been a lot of anticipation,” Schuetz said of finally getting on the court to join her best friend, Eliana, and to play for Bishop coach Dillan Bennett, who guided the girls on the Santa Barbara Volleyball Club U15 team that won the AAU Girls Volleyball Championship in Orlando, Fla. in the summer of 2022. “I’m kind of settling in now. Saturday (her debut) was a little bit crazy.”
She still had 10 kills in a four-set win over Sacred Heart of Los Angeles.
Bennett said Schuetz is enjoying Bishop Diego.
“I think a big part of her coming here was to get a good academic experience and prepare to go to LMU. Along with being Eliana’s best friend, she’s here to be a student as well and we’re very thankful she’s here. It’s nice to have her on the court; she makes a huge difference and it allows us to diversify a little bit. The ball is not going to the same spot that it’s been going for two years. There’s somebody else out there that a team has to think about.”
The Cardinals were much sharper against Villanova Prep. They took the Wildcats out of system most of the night with tough serving, and talented freshman setter Karina Urzua did a nice job spreading the ball around to open up the attack.
Wynter Thorn-Thomsen added five kills on the outside, middle/opposite Vivi Klentner contributed four kills and a block and Sophie Otte, a transfer from Laguna Blanca, had four kills and a block.
“She’s somebody that can put the ball away,” said Bennett of the junior Otte. “In the rotation she’s in, she’s got Eliana and Nicole with her, so it’s a pretty spread offense. She can pretty much do what she wants with the ball.”
After excelling in the middle at Santa Barbara, Schuetz is getting the opportunity to hit and block on the outside for Bishop.
“I’m excited to get some experience in it,” she said. “It’s fun learning a new position but it’s obviously a little bit difficult this late in the game.”
Schuetz said the decision to transfer was difficult.
“It’s been a little hard. I love SB, it’s such a great school. It was a hard decision for me but I think it’s something that’s going to benefit me. I’m excited, and I wish SB great things.”
She said the opportunity to play with Eliana one last time before they go their separate ways to college was too good to pass up.
“It was a one-time opportunity and I was able to make it happen.”
Schuetz will make a return visit to Santa Barbara next weekend as Bishop Diego accepted an invitation to play in the Dons’ annual Tournament of Champions.
“I’m super excited,” she said of playing in the tournament. “It’ll be really fun.”
As for the potential of the Bishop team, Schuetz believes the Cardinals can make a deep playoff run.
“I’m super excited for this season,” she said. “We can go far. We just have to execute.”
The Cardinals look to be on the right track after two matches with the newcomers.
