It’s shaping up to be one of the most competitive boys’ volleyball seasons in recent memory; here’s a quick primer with everything you need to know about the teams vying for the Moore League crown. Stay tuned all year for articles, photos, and a few video highlights to boot!
Wilson
Last year was memorable for Wilson, as a special group of players put together an undefeated run through league, in which they achieved history by not giving up a single game; they then advanced to the semifinals in CIF where they lost in five sets to Loyola. As memorable as it was, of course, like everything accomplished last season in sports, all that memorable run is now is a memory. The Bruins have some big shoes to fill with much of that team graduated. They return three starters, all seniors, who will serve as the heart, and experienced core of the 2010 Bruins.
If Cory Leckie (setter), Jake MacRaie (OH), and the cannon-armed Brandon Fuimaono (OH) can put this team on their back, and bring the younger players up to their level, Wilson could surprise a lot of teams in SoCal who wrote them off with as many graduated players as they had. Still, Bruins coach Susan Pescar emphasizes her team isn’t starting from scratch, thanks to the talent of that trio. “I’d say we’re retooling more than rebuilding,” she says. “It’s just about making adjustments. We’re capable of doing great things, we just have to maintain a level of attack.”
Pescar, as of the first match of league, was still rotating players at a few key positions (three Bruins saw time at libero against Millikan), but as those pieces come together we should see impressive things from Wilson yet again.
Poly
The Jackrabbits are looking to improve on a second-place finish from last season, and they’re hoping improved depth, as well as a league player-of-the-year candidate will get them over the hump. John La Rusch is a 6-5 junior starting at opposite for the Rabbits. He’s on the Junior National Team, and Poly coach Vruthy Cheav says, “He’s my leader in almost every match. He’s a big factor for our program.”
Showcasing improved depth, Cheav has been able to move players around to different positions this season, trying to optimize his team’s chemistry. Brenden Tokioga will spend the year at libero, as the 5-6 junior is, according to Cheav, not only a good backstop but “an inspirational communicator.” Even he could be at setter if Cheav needed to move him, though. The other barometer players will be Jelon Clark, a 6-2 middle, and Garrett Covey, a sophomore Cheav hopes to play at setter for the next three season. If the sophomore can play above his years and distribute the ball to Poly’s weapons, there’s no doubt they’ll be a factor in the league race.
“In my four years,” Cheav reminds, “We’ve never gotten a game off of Wilson. This year the goals not about games, it’s about competing and winning.”
Lakewood
The talk among coaches and media in the run-up to this season was Lakewood’s team height. Coach Jeremy Moenoa had to laugh about it. “I guess I’m kind of spoiled. Last year I had three 6-6 players and one at 6-9, so people are saying we have height this year, but I feel like we’re short.”
6-7 senior middle Lucas Tate, 6-7 junior middle Jake Burkhardt, and a pair of 6-3 players (juniors Christian Ulufanua and Sean McGee) who can hold it down outside are certainly hoping to prove their coach wrong, and to live up to his tall expectations. “I fully intend on taking league,” he says. “But I’m not the only one. Wilson plans on winning, Poly is planning on winning…I told my team, I’m shocked every year when we don’t win. And I mean that.”
In a wide open league, depth (or in this case height) of talent can be an enormous factor, and there’s no denying Lakewood has a dramatic height advantage over the rest of the league. Time will tell what kind of use they can put it to this season.
Millikan
The Rams have gotten kind of cozy in the fourth place spot, and longtime coach Greg Kautz is hoping this is the season they can break that habit. “I like the way we fight,” he says. “We only have one player with club experience, so we need that.”
That player, Brad Wilson, will anchor the team from a technical perspective, while Kilisi Suai seems to be the emotional leader on the court. “We’re trying to bring the attitude over from football,” says the linebacker who led the team in tackles. The Rams, with just a few players on the varsity roster who don’t start, will be hard-pressed to contend for a league crown, a fact Kautz is aware of. But his goal is to get a CIF berth, and with the guttiness the Rams showed in stretches in a four-set loss to Wilson on Tuesday, that may not be too far out of reach.
Jordan/Cabrillo
In the “rounding out the league” section are the Panthers and Jaguars, both of whom would be very outside shots at making CIF, but who both show signs of improvement this year. Jordan is led by John Timu, 2008’s Moore League Player of the Year for football, who missed almost all of 2009’s season with a knee injury. He’s back on the hardcourt to provide an emotional spark for a Jordan team that’s now more than 10 years removed from their CIF championship in 1999. Lakewood coach Jeremy Moenoa said Timu was very athletic on the court when they played the Panthers on Tuesday, and it should be fun to see the Washington-bound player back in blue before he graduates.
Key Matches Among The Big Three (All games approx. 4pm)
Poly @ Lakewood, 4/1
Poly @ Wilson, 4/13
Wilson @ Lakewood, 4/20
Lakewood @ Poly, 4/27
Wilson @ Poly, 4/29
Lakewood @ Wilson, 5/6