League status changed to A level
They’re young, they have talent, a few veteran players and they
have most of the season still ahead of them. But already the San
Benito High School boys’ volleyball team is thinking playoffs.
League status changed to A level
They’re young, they have talent, a few veteran players and they have most of the season still ahead of them. But already the San Benito High School boys’ volleyball team is thinking playoffs.
“I want to be in the playoffs and win a league championship this year,” said Luiz Espinoza, the second-year varsity coach.
With powerhouse schools such as defending champion Monterey and Palma in the league, winning that league title won’t be easy-but making the playoffs will be easier than it was a season ago.
A recent change in the league’s status this year with the Central Coast Section has made the Tri County Athletic League shift from being a B-level league to an A league, meaning that instead of only having the league champion make the playoffs the top three finishers in league will now qualify for the postseason this year.
And so far the Balers are off to a fast start. After a difficult preseason, the SBHS squad picked up a clutch 25-22, 25-17, 23-25, 25-20 win at Gilroy High School on Tuesday night in the league opener.
“I think if we have our chemistry and we all play as a team, I’m sure we can be right up there this year fighting for first or second in league,” Espinoza said. “Monterey is still the team to beat though.”
Last year the Balers lost three seniors to graduation, but they still have a core group of returnees that have proven their abilities on the court.
One of them is senior Luis Rosales, who is considered one of the leaders on the floor.
He sees the bulk of his playing time at the setter position but also rotates into the outside hitter slot, where he also has shown skill.
“He really runs the court for us,” said Espinoza, of his senior athlete.
Another senior outside hitter this season who will be trying to drive home kill shots for the Balers is Chris Flippo.
In the win over Gilroy Tuesday night Flippo racked up 8 kills to put his season total to 12.
Like Rosales, he too has shown versatility on the floor. A year ago he was the team’s libero or defensive specialist but this season Espinoza opted to take advantage of his ability to put the ball away.
“He’s the type of player who knows what he has to do on the court,” Espinoza said.
Another senior in the Balers starting lineup this season is Mack Hawkes, who plays the opposite position on the team.
“He’s dependable and another weapon on offense for us,” Espinoza said. “He is a presence on the court also.”
Handling the high-profile defensive position for the Balers this season is David De La Cruz. As the team’s libero he is responsible for making key passes on the court and feeding the ball into the hitter’s on the team so they can put it away for the kill.
Espinoza has been most impressed with his awareness on the court.
“He knows where the ball is,” Espinoza said. “He passes consistently and is able to make a lot of plays happen for us. If he can’t make the pass, we don’t have a play. It’s a very important position.”
The other key positions are the middle blockers up front, who have the task of shutting down the opposition’s top hitters. They need to be tall, have long arms and a strong ability to leap and block shots, which is why 6-foot-8 senior Sterling Wilson is perfect for the challenging position.
“This year is his first year playing and he already leads the team in kills (22),” Espinoza said. “I would expect that within four or five games, maybe sooner, he’ll really be a force for us.”
Another middle blocker with plenty of upside is sophomore Brian Hawks. At 6-foot-2 he isn’t quite as intimidating when he winds up for a kill shot but he is expected to make a huge contribution up front defensively for the Balers this season.
“He brings a lot of defense to the team,” Espinoza said. “This is his first year at the varsity level. He’s transitioning right now from JV to varsity but I expect big things for him, especially next year.”
Rounding out the Baler lineup are: sophomore outside hitter Eric Rodriguez; sophomore back row player Danny Ruiz; senior back row player Chase Maka; senior opposite Tim Scankovich and junior back row player Adam Crawford.
“I’m happy with all of the guys that I play out there,” Espinoza said. “I want to make sure that all of my guys are conditioned and ready to play – and they are. With all of the changes I know that if we do as good as we did last year that we will make the playoffs, but I want to do better than that.”
