STRIKE FORCE—Westlake High’s Emily Detweiler, right, hammers a kill against Royal on Tuesday. Photos by RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers Westlake High’s girls’ volleyball team opened its season by winning the 40-team Las Vegas Invitational.

The winning hasn’t stopped.

At the midpoint of the Marmonte League schedule, the Warriors have accumulated more overall victories than any other league foe.

They’re coming off a runnerup finish at the Hilltop Invitational in San Diego last weekend.

The Warriors excel with strong front-row hitters, a savvy senior setter, underrated middle blockers and a few defensive aces.

“I like the camaraderie we have both on and off the court,” said Shawna Korshavn, the captain and starting setter.

“We have a lot of hitters with power. They’re able to hit bad sets and make me look good.”

Westlake, 22-8 overall and 5-2 in the Marmonte, plays a critical match at first-place Thousand Oaks (14-4, 7-0) tonight at 6.

SOMEONE’S BEEN SET UP— Warrior Courtney Hoffmans delivers a pin-point pass. Julia Mannisto is one of Ventura County’s brightest young stars.

The sophomore outside hitter has been on fire, accumulating 246 kills. Last season, current senior outside hitter Emily Detweiler led the way with 230 kills.

“Win or lose, we still play as a solid team,” Mannisto said. “We push each other to make each other better.”

To make a bigger impact on the court, Mannisto spent the offseason working on the location of her strikes.

Head coach Ernest Rittenhouse is impressed with the sophomore.

“She is playing well beyond her years,” Rittenhouse said. “She’s fearless. She’s absolutely fearless. She gets in a groove sometimes, and she’s on fire.”

Mannisto had a strong outing against Royal at home Tuesday.

She brought the ruckus with 30 kills, but the Warriors lost a 2-0 lead in the five-game setback.

“ We have to have mental toughness,” the sophomore said. “It needs to be there.”

Korshavn is having an outstanding season after replacing former standout Hannah Schuett.

After racking up 59 assists Tuesday, Korshavn has 725 assists on the year.

She’s on pace to break Schuett’s 2010 school record of 850 assists in one season since the inception of rally scoring.

“She’s very steady. She’s very consistent,” Rittenhouse said of Korshavn. “Nothing really throws her off. She’s mentally tough and she doesn’t get angry. She’s a great captain and a great leader.”

Last season, Korshavn led the Warriors with 51 blocks as a middle blocker.

The modest senior said she earned the setter gig by “default.”

Korshavn still wants to improve.

“I’d like to get better at passing and setting more people,” she said. “I need to trust my middles more.”

The captain was disheartened in the way Westlake lost to the Highlanders this week.

Last fall, the Warriors lost to the Highlanders in a similar fashion by allowing a two-game lead to disappear in a five-set road loss.

“It was déjà vu—and not in a good way,” Korshavn said.

Like any good leader, Korshavn is looking forward to the rest of the season.

“We need to keep fighting and not give up on any play,” she said. “We need to play the same from point one to point 25. . . .

“ I’m excited. Everyone’s improving and coming together.”

Courtney Birkett has played well at outside hitter while battling through shin injuries. She hits the ball with force, and she owns a wicked jump serve.

She’s a confident player who rarely makes mistakes.

“When she’s dialed in, she can be very, very tough to stop,” the coach said of Birkett.

Detweiler also has a strong jump serve that’s hard for opponents to read. She’s improved her aces-to-errors ratio this season. Detweiler is also a solid passer.

Senior libero Paige Harris, a third-year varsity starter, and defensive specialist Paige Rasmussen are playing stout defense, Rittenhouse said.

Nicky Kevorken, Megan Young and Jaclyn Detwiler are solid junior middle blockers. Lexi Ozder is a senior middle blocker. All four contribute.

“I have confidence in all of them,” the coach said of his middle hitters.

Rittenhouse praised Ozder and senior outside hitter Megan Stephens for their “admirable” comebacks from serious knee injuries.

Megan Cutaran, a junior, is a versatile weapon.

An MVP setter on last year’s junior varsity squad, Cutaran hits and passes well.

Courtney Hoffmans and Bethany Maddison complete the varsity roster.

The Warriors will bounce back from the tough loss against Royal.

“This team will rebound,” Rittenhouse said.