At one point in the San Benito High boys volleyball team’s season-opener against Gilroy on Feb. 25, the Haybalers had five freshmen and a sophomore on the court.
While that isn’t exactly a recipe for success for a varsity squad, first-year coach Javier Castaneda sees plenty of positives in the team’s youth. Out of the 13-player roster, the Balers field six freshmen, three sophomores, two seniors and two juniors.
Despite a dearth of upperclassmen, Castaneda said he’s optimistic because of the talent and potential he sees everyday in practice.
“There are a couple of guys who you can say are the future of the program, and that’s great to see,” said Castaneda, a former San Benito High volleyball standout. “We’re making a lot of young mistakes and going through some growing pains, but the guys are adapting well.”
San Benito returns a big-time talent—literally—in senior Gabe Ventura, a 6-foot-7 outside hitter who is making the transition from middle blocker. Castaneda said Ventura is receiving strong interest from colleges, and with good reason.
“Gabe has the best all-around skills on the team,” Castaneda said. “His kills have really rallied the boys together, is a great motivator and puts them in an excited state. When Gabe is on fire, he’s unstoppable.”
The Balers usually have plenty of height, and this year is no exception. In addition to Ventura, San Benito has senior Saul Robles, a 6-5 middle blocker; freshman Leo Salazar, a 6-3 middle; and sophomore Sergio Sanchez, a 6-2 middle.
“Sergio has stepped up by being aggressive,” Castaneda said. “He’s always the first one to the gym and the last to leave. For Leo, this is his first year of ever playing volleyball. He’s one guy who will be the future of the program, a pure competitor who really cares about doing well and supporting the team. And being an older guy, I think Saul can really step up and help this team by pushing himself and the younger guys to their limit.”
A trio of freshmen—setter Saul Martinez, libero Dominic Garcia and outside hitter Jack Breger—all possess qualities that Castaneda said will prove vital as the season goes along.
“Jack has tremendous athleticism and his coachability is what separates him from a lot of people,” Castaneda said. “Saul sets all the way around, and really knows how to run an offense. And Dominic’s vocal leadership really makes a difference on the court.”
Even though Gilroy swept the Balers—game scores were 27-25, 27-25, 25-16—Castaneda felt the team was very close to turning the match in its favor. However, critical mistakes at crucial moments doomed the Balers, who have to grow up fast if they want to make things interesting in the always tough Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division.
Surprisingly enough, in the team’s match against Gilroy and also in a sportsmanship scrimmage game with Christopher, the Balers couldn’t sustain a high level of productivity.
“The biggest thing in our first two games is we struggled with our energy early on,” the 23-year-old Castaneda said. “You could see the butterflies on all of the boys’ faces. We need energy from the start of the match to the end, because it can help us with the small mental mistakes we’ve made.”
Because of the team’s youth and relative lack of varsity experience, Castaneda said he’s often used the maximum amount of time available of three hours per practice. The team has been drilled on the all of the fundamentals, including defensive schemes, coverage areas, situational schemes, positioning and learning to play at the proper tempo.
“For some of the boys, this year is the first time for them playing organized volleyball,” said Castaneda, who has coached club volleyball the last five years. “So we’re definitely learning as we go. We’re just trying to hit it strong and develop the necessary skills to compete with the best teams in the league.”
