Varsity Boys Volleyball
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By Ryan Eshoff
In West Catholic Athletic
League varsity volleyball, the most important word is athletic.
Every single match is packed with men striking a white ball at
each other with ridiculous ferocity. This is precisely what makes
volleyball such an exciting sport to watch, especially when the
action is so competitive, which it is in the WCAL.
For the most part of this 2005 season, the Valley Christian squad
has been able to hold their own against the traditional league
powers. Already riding some momentum stemming from a thrilling
five game victory over Sacred Heart Cathedral, the Warriors hosted
St. Ignatius March 17. Sensational teamwork between a pair of
juniors, Jeremy Georges and Mark VanElderen provided the team
with a 1-2 punch, and led them to a 4 game victory. An out-of-league
match-up against CCS powerhouse Live Oak gave the squad a chance
to face up against one of the stronger teams in the area. Although
the Warriors were unable to bury the Acorns, coaches Rob Georges
and Scott Vanderveen used the game as a learning experience. The
coaches said they have been enjoying the success the boys have
been achieving.
Back into the West Catholic fray against St. Francis, VC hoped
to take their third straight match in league. This time it was
the play of senior standouts Drew Larson and Clay Clifford who
contributed to the next victim of the Warriors’ winning
streak. Larson, 5th in the league in kills and 1st in digs, was
particularly brutal against the Lancers. Unfortunately, the team
could not continue their run against undefeated Junipero Serra,
falling in four sets. The Mitty Monarchs used an exhausting first
game win of 32-30 to set the pace for the rest of the match, and
defeated the Warriors in three games. Facing another undefeated
opponent, Bellarmine, the Warriors proved they weren’t overmatched,
but still fell in four games. Individually, the VC players continue
to dominate the WCAL. VanElderen leads the league in total kills
and kills per game, Georges is 3rd, Larson 5th, Clifford 10th,
and sophomore Andrew Caine 11th. Larson, Caine, senior Landon
Thomas, VanElderen, and Georges combine to form the top 5 dig
leaders in the league. Senior Landon Thomas stated, “ The
team has come a long way, we are excited to see how the rest of
the season will go and what we will be able to accomplish during
league playoff’s.
