What the San Benito boys volleyball can accomplish has now been
laid out on paper.
The Haybalers enjoyed one of their best seasons in school
history last year when they compiled a 23-8 overall record, earned
their first Tri-County Athletic League title since 2001 with a 14-0
mark and qualified toward the Central Coast Section playoffs for
the first time in eight years as a result.
But that was last year
— seven seniors, five all-league selections and one head coach
ago.
Reclaiming any of those accomplishments will need to be once
again earned, and first-year head coach Erica Richardson wouldn’t
want it any other way.
HOLLISTER
What the San Benito boys volleyball can accomplish has now been laid out on paper.
The Haybalers enjoyed one of their best seasons in school history last year when they compiled a 23-8 overall record, earned their first Tri-County Athletic League title since 2001 with a 14-0 mark and qualified toward the Central Coast Section playoffs for the first time in eight years as a result.
But that was last year — seven seniors, five all-league selections and one head coach ago.
Reclaiming any of those accomplishments will need to be once again earned, and first-year head coach Erica Richardson wouldn’t want it any other way.
“It’s not given,” Richardson said. “It’s gonna feel much better because they will have to work hard to get what they are given, and they’re working very hard.”
Big shoes to fill, sure. And with the team starting from scratch, for the most part, it won’t be easy. But no one can ever say Richardson took over a winning team, not after the bulk of last season’s title-winning team graduated.
“No,” Richardson said earlier this month, “I stepped into a new team and we are going to win.”
Richardson replaces Luis Espinoza along the San Benito sidelines after the former head coach stepped down following last season’s historic run. It was Espinoza, with plans of completing his teaching credential as well as earning his masters, who recommended Richardson to come coach the Baler boys this season, however.
“She’s a very knowledgeable person in the sport. I thought, for sure, she’d be a great candidate for the program,” Espinoza said. “There are some huge differences … she knows more than I do. She expects a lot from the boys and I think that’s what they need.”
The 25-year-old Richardson was coaching at Mountain View last year when the Spartans played Espinoza’s Balers at the Spring Fling in Aptos — Mountain View won the match in three games (25-22, 12-25, 15-13). Espinoza then later bumped into Richardson at Anzar High this past winter where she was coaching the Hawks’ junior varsity volleyball team, one of her many coaching gigs that has also included club teams in both Watsonville and Santa Cruz.
“I don’t really say no to volleyball,” she said.
When Espinoza asked her to consider taking over the Balers, the close proximity of San Benito High from her home in Aromas made the coaching stint too appealing, even if Richardson was considering to transition out of coaching.
See, the Notre Dame (Salinas) graduate still plays the game — she’s a middle blocker — but would have to travel overseas in order to continue playing. She says there’s a possibility she could be at San Benito for just one year, although there’s always the possibility she could become attached to the program as well.
Again, she doesn’t say no to volleyball.
“And I love it here,” Richardson said. “I played against Hollister in high school and it was such a competitive community. I didn’t have to second guess whether or not I’d come here.”
And so far, Richardson has instilled an aggressive, straightforward style to coaching that has put the Balers on notice.
“She’s strict, but she loves the sport,” said Roy Powell, who is one of three returners for San Benito this season. “If you do something wrong, she’s on you. But I appreciate that.”
At 5-6 overall and 3-1 in the TCAL, San Benito has shown signs of progress that are evident even to the outside follower.
Take the team’s TCAL opener on March 2, for instance, a three-game defeat (19-25, 17-25, 11-25) against Gilroy. The Balers had difficulty stringing any sort of scoring runs together, often losing steam midway through each match as the Mustangs earned a convincing sweep and supplied San Benito its first league loss since May 2008.
But that weekend at the Spring Fling in Aptos, the Balers avenged the early-season loss by defeating Gilroy in three games (26-24, 22-25, 16-14) — the third game highlighted by a 10-2 run from San Benito to close out the match.
“We’re a lot closer now because we found out our strongest rotation,” said Powell, who was second on the team last season with 155 kills. “We’ve had to work with each other, so now we’re a lot closer.”
Alex Alvarez and Jakob Rice make up the other two returning varsity members for San Benito — all three earning honorable mention status in the TCAL last season. Otherwise, the Balers are brand new, but have won four of their last five matches.
“We need players to have heart,” Powell said. “No matter how big or small the other team is, we’ll push for every point in that game until we win.
“Heart is all that matters.”
And San Benito’s league rematch with Gilroy on April 8 is already circled, as is March 23 and April 29 when the Balers will take on Monterey. Wins over those teams could propel San Benito to its second straight TCAL title, one that this year’s team would have rightfully earned.
“Since I’m a senior, I don’t want to leave empty-handed,” Powell said. “I want to see a ’10 on that banner, and I don’t want anything less.”
Staff writer Josh Weaver contributed to this story.
