Bishop Gorman’s junior girls volleyball player Aliana “Allie” Breitling ‘27 and senior football player Ocean Taufa ‘26 are projected to have breakout seasons heading into the 2025-2026 school year.
Gorman girl’s volleyball finished last year as the No.1 ranked team in Nevada, No. 89 ranked team in the country, and Nevada 5A state champions. One of the many reasons for their success was Breitling, an athletic 5’10 outside hitter who often captivates audiences with her blocking and hitting ability. Breitling explained that she wants to “earn” her spot on the team and really work hard, so her team has a really good chance at winning the state championship this year.
She also committed to Yale over the summer, the No. 2 ranked Ivy League volleyball team as of 2024, with Princeton being the only team ahead. “It felt really good…and it’s just a really big accomplishment for me,” Breitling ‘27 said.
Gorman girls volleyball started off the preseason in Hawaii, where they faced challenges against top volleyball talent in the country and were able to perform well. Their first regular season game came Tuesday, Aug 19, where they defeated Arbor View High School 3-1. Breitling led kills per set in the game with an average of 2.7, a great start to the season for Breitling and the Gaels.
Gorman football also finished high last season as the No. 1 ranked team in Nevada, No. 4 ranked team in the country, and Nevada 5A state champions. They started the 2025 season ranked as No. 3 in the country, with their first game coming Friday, Aug 22, at Centennial High School.
Taufa is a 6’3, 245 lb defensive lineman. During his junior year, Taufa managed 36 solo tackles and six assisted tackles making his total count 42. He also had 21 tackles for loss, three of which being sacks, all in just 11 games played. Even with the impressive junior year, Taufa knows he has room for improvement. “My goal for this year is to get at least 10 plus sacks, maybe 15,” Taufa said. This comes out to an average of at least one sack per game. Competing against some of the top high school competition in the country, Taufa looks to put his final stamp on his high school football career.
Even though both Breitling and Taufa have personal goals for themselves, and both are primarily focused on their teams’ success. “My focus is just to do as best as I can and do everything for my team this year, just work hard and not play selfish,” Taufa said.
