DESERT HOT SPRINGS — Courtney Rogers goes about her business as head of the student body at Desert Hot Springs High School and a captain for the volleyball team, unfazed by the bold name on the back of her uniform.

“Killa” is emblazoned on the back of her white “home” jersey, and she says that's OK with her.

However, don't confuse the name with the one on her navy “away” jersey.

That one says “Rodgers” and it's spelled incorrectly.

“It's OK with me,” said Rogers, who is a two-year captain for the Golden Eagles, who sport a 6-1 record this season. “There's not a lot of people who are brave enough to have “Killa” on their uniform, but we wanted to do something fun. No matter what name it is, it all comes down to the team and how much fun we have together.”

The Golden Eagles enjoyed a good laugh one day after practice when they decided to make a fashion statement with their uniforms.

They were ordering a new set of shirts anyway and were paying for their names, so they went above and beyond — Project Runway, DHS style.

The team also ordered blue and gold stars on their socks to make the outfit complete.

“We did this all by ourselves after practice one day,” Rogers explained. “It was a team bonding thing and we spent hours working on it.”

Rogers said the team didn't want to go the traditional route with “Court” or “CoCo” or whatever nickname would fit their actual given name, so they came up with others.

“Each and every one represents their personality,” said Rogers, who noted there is no nickname for coach Heather Yarbrough — yet.

“We're comfortable with it. We play because we love volleyball and we don't get caught up in wins and losses. We laugh over the silliest things and that's really helped us with more game confidence.”

Rogers added that Yarbrough was supportive from the start — as long as it was legal under school rules.

“She's very supportive,” said Rogers. “And we've had so many comments from all the kids in school. They want to get involved and come out to watch our games.”

Yarbrough sees a different atmosphere at the Eagles Nest.

“After they put on their jerseys, word started spreading with all the teachers and students,”' said Yarbrough, a former player for her alma mater. “The girls got really excited about it and they told all their friends and fans to come see what it was all about. It got people excited about the games.”

And the Golden Eagles have not disappointed. Their lone loss was a tight three-set match against non-league foe Cathedral City.

“They're a small squad, but they're committed to each other,” said Yarbrough. “The girls do a lot of things together. They want to be here and they play well together. It's more about the team. All the little stuff that doesn't make much difference isn't important.”

Junior Leanne Wendleborn, aka Sparkles, stands out on the court with her play at libero, not just for her eye glitter and nickname.

“We're having so much fun,” she said. “And it was really cool when we can have our real last name on one jersey and our nicknames. We bought the same (volleyball) shoes last year, but this year we wanted to do something different. Surprisingly, everyone's really into it. In some classes, they call me Sparkles now.”

Here's the list of the Desert Hot Springs varsity volleyball players, their year and position and a short explanation from senior Courtney Rogers.

Courtney Rogers: senior middle hitter; “Killa” because she likes to get as many kills as she can in a match.

Cierra Tarrant: Junior outside hitter; “Lilo” because she's Samoan. Remember islanders Lilo and Stitch?

Leanne Wendelborn: Junior defensive specialist; “Sparkles” because her eyes sparkle and she often wears glitter to enhance them.

Mariela Ortega: Junior outside hitter; “Ella-Ay” is from the Rihanna song, “Umbrella.”

Shiela Ochoa: sophomore defensive specialist; “Shy-La” because she's really shy

Chyann Saban: Junior opposite; “Chives” just instead of Chy “we added to it.”

Karla Santana: Junior outside hitter; “Brownie” because of the fact that she's just so sweet

Vanessa Burgos: Sophomore setter; “Jabbers” because off the court she doesn't stop talking

Isabella Uribe: Junior middle hitter; “Cheekies” because she smiles almost all the time