ViQueens of the Month: Mia Jessen and Bradleigh Ryan

Kyra Sharma and Kevin Chiu • October 17, 2023

Mia Jessen (Libero/DS) and Bradleigh Ryan (Pin Hitter) have both been playing volleyball long before their freshman years of high school. Now seniors, they’ve been bringing their all to their last volleyball season at La Jolla High before they go off to college. Keep reading for an exclusive interview with the two captains of our girls varsity volleyball team!

Seniors Bradleigh Ryan (left) and Mia Jessen (right). Image via @ljhswvb on Instagram.

Q. How long have you been playing volleyball?

MJ: 6 years.

BR: 8 years.

Q. What made you start playing volleyball?

MJ: When I moved to San Diego my mom wanted me to do a team sport, so I chose volleyball.

BR: I played because my friend’s dad was the coach, so all of my friends played volleyball together in 5th grade.

Q. What is your favorite part about volleyball?

MJ: I like being on a team with my friends and getting to compete.

BR: Probably playing home games for the high school season, they’re really fun for me.

Q. How has your senior season been so far?

MJ: It’s been good; we have a lot of seniors so it’s fun to have our last season together.

BR: This season our team has an even winning and losing record [at time of interview]. Our team dynamic is really fun; we’re all really close.

Q. What would you consider your biggest sports achievement?

MJ: Committing to college to play volleyball.

BR: As a team, we won CIF Division 2 twice for beach volleyball. Also, last year, I got MVP for my team which was really great.

Q. Do you plan on playing volleyball in college?

MJ: I’m playing volleyball at Hamilton College.

BR: No, I’m not.

Q. Do you have any team shoutouts?

MJ: Shoutout to sophomore Emma Garrett!

BR: Shoutout to senior Anaïs Reneaum!

Nominate and vote for the next Viking of the Month on our Instagram, @ thehitide !

About the Contributors

Kyra Sharma, Editor-in-Chief

Kyra Sharma is a senior in her third year of Journalism, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the Hi-Tide as Editor-in-Chief this year. With her background as Staff Writer, Guest Contributor, and Managing/Opinions Editor for the Hi-Tide over the past three years, as well as her heavy commitment to Speech and Debate, Kyra has had several opportunities to voice her opinion on significant issues that are often left in the dark, from menstrual stigmas to faulty forensic science. She looks forward to furthering her journalistic career by encouraging staff writers to provide diverse perspectives on such matters, contributing insightful articles to the paper, and ensuring that the publication remains a platform for impactful discussion. Kyra is beyond excited to work with her fellow staff for a fantastic final year!

Kevin Chiu, Managing Editor

Kevin Chiu is a current senior and the Managing Editor of the Hi-Tide. Throughout his four years on the team, he has done every job from being a reporter his freshman year, a page editor his sophomore year, the lead editor his junior year, and finally the managing editor his senior year. Kevin plans to use his years of experience with the Hi-Tide to provide helpful insight to younger and less experienced reporters and editors. In his free time, Kevin runs cross country and is the current team captain of the varsity cross country team. Apart from running Kevin also enjoys playing poker with his friends and spending his afternoons at the beach.