Raechel Jones said the Vista Murrieta volleyball team has a simple goal this season.

"We want to play in December," the senior setter said.

If the Broncos achieve that goal, it means they qualified for the CIF State tournament by reaching the Southern Section finals.

Vista Murrieta, which is ranked fourth in Division I-AA by the Southern Section and 10th in the nation by MaxPreps.com, took the first step in the process by sweeping through the Southwestern League undefeated.

The league championship was the Broncos' third in three years and second outright; last year, they went 9-1 in league and shared the title with Great Oak.

Vista Murrieta will begin the next leg of its journey today when it opens the Division I-AA playoffs against Fullerton Rosary, an at-large qualifier out of the Trinity League.

"We want to get past the (section) quarterfinals, which is where we stopped the last two years, and we really want to get to state," Jones said.

Jones is likely to have a major role in however far the Broncos get in the postseason.

In soccer, the central midfield is known as the "engine room," because that's where the hard work of transitioning from defense to offense takes place. Central midfielders drive the team.

In volleyball, the setter plays that role.

"Raechel is definitely the glue that holds our team together. She's our quarterback," Vista Murrieta coach Kristen Robarts said. "She gets to the ball so quickly, she can turn an average pass into a good set.

"We have so many good hitters on our team, in any match, (that) we might have five different hitters get 10 kills. That's because of Raechel. She's extremely important to our success."

Any team's quarterback is expected to be a leader, and Jones, a four-year varsity player who was introduced to the sport by her dad when she was 8, is one as well. According to Robarts, however, her setter is not a rah-rah type. She leads quietly and by example, working hard in practice and making good decisions on the court.

Senior outside hitter Serinna Russo, who first played club volleyball with Jones when they were 8, said Jones makes her and the other hitters' jobs easier

"She can make great sets," Russo said. "She takes the pressure off hitters. A lot of time, she'll take the blame, even when it's not her fault."

Jones said her task is made easier because she has played with most of her teammates for years.

"It's so much fun," Jones said. "I love those girls. We're all really good friends and we've played club volleyball together. We know how each other plays."

After this season ends, Jones will go on to play with - and make friends with - new teammates. Jones has verbally committed to play volleyball for Azusa Pacific University, where she'll study to become a physical therapist.

"The coaches came and worked with my club team," Jones said. "Then I visited the school and fell in love with the team."

- Staff writer Ed Wehde can be reached at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2633 or ewehde@californian.com.