Post by Scott Zanni on Mar 31, 2008 6:14:12 GMT -5
Gazette boys preseason article posted below (link first and article follows). Anyone know why so few teams are highlighted for boys volleyball?
www.gazette.net/stories/032608/bethspo215956_32360.shtml
With Spring Break falling earlier than usual for Montgomery County Public Schools, the boys and coed volleyball seasons will be more compact this spring. With the regular season beginning on April Fools Day and ending on Cinco De Mayo, teams will have unusually short seasons, with 12 matches crammed into just over a month.
It does seem like we’re playing a lot of games in a short time,” said Walter Johnson boys coach Sylvie Ellen. ‘‘More than last year, at least.”
But the truth is that fatigue likely won’t be an issue in either sport. Both the boys and coed circuits will once again feature multi-sport athletes used to the grind of long seasons.
Yet the Hornets should be even stronger this year, in particular because the return of the best male player in the county, senior outside hitter Ryan Mullsteff. The Gazette Player of the Year last spring, he is fresh off a winter track season in which he won the Class 3A state title in the high jump, leaping 6 feet, 6 inches.
It’s not just him, however, that makes the Hornets so dangerous. Middle blocker Kyle Nail stands 6-foot-6 and was a starting center on the basketball team this winter, has looked like a natural since taking up the sport. The girls will be strong as well, with All-Gazette first-team setter Arielle Goldberg and 6-2 blocker Jamie Kaufman — an All-Gazette girls basketball first-teamer — making for a lethal coed unit.
‘‘I’m blessed,” said Damascus head coach K.C. Landefeld. ‘‘We have so many athletes. With Ryan, what you saw last year is nothing compared to what we see now. His jump serve has just gotten ridiculous. But now, there’s an incredible supporting cast.”
That team on paper does not guarantee a title, certainly not with two-time defending county champion Sherwood still in the way. The Warriors also may be just as strong as a year ago, with several holdovers and new additions who played on the boys team last year. Senior Tommy Young will once again be a force as a hitter, while hitter Brett Sanger and front-row player Matt Florian were both starters on the boys’ championship team a year ago. Senior Kerry Collins — a first-team All-Gazette setter this fall — is one of the county’s premier girls players, while Leilani Halkiotis and front-row players Taryn Sacfide and Robinn Lee round out a deep lineup.
‘‘It would be great to three-peat,” said Sherwood head coach Pete Siarkas. ‘‘But going through Paint Branch, Churchill and Damascus just in the regular season is going to make it tough. It will be nice going in as the underdog for the championship.”
Sherwood’s boys will probably not be underdogs, though. The reigning champion lost two fantastic players — setter Jeff Moy and 6-4 middle blocker Chris Wisor — but enough returns for a repeat. Back are senior outside hitter Mik Berzins, an All-Gazette first-team performer a year ago who is committed to play at Ohio State University next year, and his sophomore brother, Dianis (setter). Also back is senior hitter Alex Owen, who started a year ago, and senior outside hitter Michael Jenkins.
‘‘It’s a pretty old team, like three 10th-graders, a couple 11th-graders and the rest seniors,” said Sherwood boys head coach Aldis Berzins, technically dubbed the ‘‘emergency parent coach,” though he will coach all season. ‘‘I think we’re looking pretty good.”
The Walter Johnson boys hope to be as good as they were a year ago, when they went a surprising 11-1 in the regular season before a playoff loss to county runner-up Rockville. The Wildcats are not quite as deep as a year ago, especially with big losses in Kevin Rivas and setter Jeff Gratton, but there is still enough to get the job done. Senior middle hitter Ted Lilly is returning, as is outside hitter Victor Silva, an elite-level club player. Former coed middle hitter Aaron Smith switched over to the boys side this spring.
‘‘This year, it’s a little more getting used to new lineups, but I think we have a lot of potential,” Ellen said. ‘‘I think any coach would love to replicate the season we had last year. It was such a thrill for me as a coach to experience that. And I don’t see why we couldn’t.”
Back to the coed side, Paint Branch also only lost once a year ago, but it was in the playoffs to the eventual champions from Sandy Spring. It defeated Sherwood in the regular season, however.
There are some missing links from a year ago, most notably 6-8 powerhouse Neil Muradymov, an All-Gazette first teamer in volleyball and football. But junior Cody Burns is back, and at 6-6 will be one of the strongest hitters around. He is complemented by senior Zach Graves, a flyer at the net with a 36-inch vertical leap, and setter Elaina Straub, who set for the girls team in the fall. Titi Huynh and junior defensive specialist Lauren Bradshaw will also make the Panthers a contender once again.
‘‘Our goal is to play in the championship,” said Paint Branch coed coach Tim Gilchrist. ‘‘This is our goal every season, and we realize that every season has a different feel to it. I am very optimistic that we will be peaking at the right time for playoffs.”
Rounding out the list of preseason contenders on the coed side is Churchill, which finished second in the division last year before losing to Damascus in the playoffs. The Bulldogs bring back experienced boys in Eric Moy and Eric Chen, both juniors, and sophomore Alex Kantor.
‘‘It’s hard to tell how far we will go in the playoffs,” said Churchill coach Mike Endler. ‘‘We have a very tough schedule, starting off with county champs and runners-up the first week, Damascus and Sherwood. I’ll have a better handle on where we stand after that.”
Other contenders on the boys side include Rockville and Kennedy.
The Rams qualified for the county championship game before bowing out to Sherwood. They lose All-Gazette first-team hitter Ben ‘‘Chuck” Hollies, but picked up a few players in addition to the ones that are still around. Senior setter Brandon Chen is back, as is senior outside hitter Wayne Crim. Seniors Tomaf Clarke and Craig Miller will also start on a veteran team.
‘‘I think our prospects are looking pretty good,” said Rockville coach Cynthia Hollies. ‘‘We have quite a bit of experience.”
The Cavaliers boys are in the opposite boat, having graduated nine players from last year’s squad, all of whom played significant roles. Only senior setter Bryan Yu is back from a team that lost to the Warriors in the county semifinals, but middle blocker Sam Felix and hitter Edgar Guiterrez come over from the coed side to give Kennedy a chance to contend.
‘‘I’m trying to think of the last time a rookie came in and started for us, and there’s been maybe one in five years,” said Kennedy coach Wanda Hsiung. ‘‘Now we’ll have several. But we’re coming along faster than expected.”
Fast Facts
Boys players to watch
Mik Berzins, Sherwood (Sr., outside hitter), Alex Owens, Sherwood (Sr., hitter), Victor Silva, Walter Johnson (Sr., outside hitter), Bryan Yu, Kennedy (Sr., setter), Brandon Chen, Rockville (Sr., setter), Wayne Crim, Rockville (Sr., outside hitter)
www.gazette.net/stories/032608/bethspo215956_32360.shtml
With Spring Break falling earlier than usual for Montgomery County Public Schools, the boys and coed volleyball seasons will be more compact this spring. With the regular season beginning on April Fools Day and ending on Cinco De Mayo, teams will have unusually short seasons, with 12 matches crammed into just over a month.
It does seem like we’re playing a lot of games in a short time,” said Walter Johnson boys coach Sylvie Ellen. ‘‘More than last year, at least.”
But the truth is that fatigue likely won’t be an issue in either sport. Both the boys and coed circuits will once again feature multi-sport athletes used to the grind of long seasons.
Yet the Hornets should be even stronger this year, in particular because the return of the best male player in the county, senior outside hitter Ryan Mullsteff. The Gazette Player of the Year last spring, he is fresh off a winter track season in which he won the Class 3A state title in the high jump, leaping 6 feet, 6 inches.
It’s not just him, however, that makes the Hornets so dangerous. Middle blocker Kyle Nail stands 6-foot-6 and was a starting center on the basketball team this winter, has looked like a natural since taking up the sport. The girls will be strong as well, with All-Gazette first-team setter Arielle Goldberg and 6-2 blocker Jamie Kaufman — an All-Gazette girls basketball first-teamer — making for a lethal coed unit.
‘‘I’m blessed,” said Damascus head coach K.C. Landefeld. ‘‘We have so many athletes. With Ryan, what you saw last year is nothing compared to what we see now. His jump serve has just gotten ridiculous. But now, there’s an incredible supporting cast.”
That team on paper does not guarantee a title, certainly not with two-time defending county champion Sherwood still in the way. The Warriors also may be just as strong as a year ago, with several holdovers and new additions who played on the boys team last year. Senior Tommy Young will once again be a force as a hitter, while hitter Brett Sanger and front-row player Matt Florian were both starters on the boys’ championship team a year ago. Senior Kerry Collins — a first-team All-Gazette setter this fall — is one of the county’s premier girls players, while Leilani Halkiotis and front-row players Taryn Sacfide and Robinn Lee round out a deep lineup.
‘‘It would be great to three-peat,” said Sherwood head coach Pete Siarkas. ‘‘But going through Paint Branch, Churchill and Damascus just in the regular season is going to make it tough. It will be nice going in as the underdog for the championship.”
Sherwood’s boys will probably not be underdogs, though. The reigning champion lost two fantastic players — setter Jeff Moy and 6-4 middle blocker Chris Wisor — but enough returns for a repeat. Back are senior outside hitter Mik Berzins, an All-Gazette first-team performer a year ago who is committed to play at Ohio State University next year, and his sophomore brother, Dianis (setter). Also back is senior hitter Alex Owen, who started a year ago, and senior outside hitter Michael Jenkins.
‘‘It’s a pretty old team, like three 10th-graders, a couple 11th-graders and the rest seniors,” said Sherwood boys head coach Aldis Berzins, technically dubbed the ‘‘emergency parent coach,” though he will coach all season. ‘‘I think we’re looking pretty good.”
The Walter Johnson boys hope to be as good as they were a year ago, when they went a surprising 11-1 in the regular season before a playoff loss to county runner-up Rockville. The Wildcats are not quite as deep as a year ago, especially with big losses in Kevin Rivas and setter Jeff Gratton, but there is still enough to get the job done. Senior middle hitter Ted Lilly is returning, as is outside hitter Victor Silva, an elite-level club player. Former coed middle hitter Aaron Smith switched over to the boys side this spring.
‘‘This year, it’s a little more getting used to new lineups, but I think we have a lot of potential,” Ellen said. ‘‘I think any coach would love to replicate the season we had last year. It was such a thrill for me as a coach to experience that. And I don’t see why we couldn’t.”
Back to the coed side, Paint Branch also only lost once a year ago, but it was in the playoffs to the eventual champions from Sandy Spring. It defeated Sherwood in the regular season, however.
There are some missing links from a year ago, most notably 6-8 powerhouse Neil Muradymov, an All-Gazette first teamer in volleyball and football. But junior Cody Burns is back, and at 6-6 will be one of the strongest hitters around. He is complemented by senior Zach Graves, a flyer at the net with a 36-inch vertical leap, and setter Elaina Straub, who set for the girls team in the fall. Titi Huynh and junior defensive specialist Lauren Bradshaw will also make the Panthers a contender once again.
‘‘Our goal is to play in the championship,” said Paint Branch coed coach Tim Gilchrist. ‘‘This is our goal every season, and we realize that every season has a different feel to it. I am very optimistic that we will be peaking at the right time for playoffs.”
Rounding out the list of preseason contenders on the coed side is Churchill, which finished second in the division last year before losing to Damascus in the playoffs. The Bulldogs bring back experienced boys in Eric Moy and Eric Chen, both juniors, and sophomore Alex Kantor.
‘‘It’s hard to tell how far we will go in the playoffs,” said Churchill coach Mike Endler. ‘‘We have a very tough schedule, starting off with county champs and runners-up the first week, Damascus and Sherwood. I’ll have a better handle on where we stand after that.”
Other contenders on the boys side include Rockville and Kennedy.
The Rams qualified for the county championship game before bowing out to Sherwood. They lose All-Gazette first-team hitter Ben ‘‘Chuck” Hollies, but picked up a few players in addition to the ones that are still around. Senior setter Brandon Chen is back, as is senior outside hitter Wayne Crim. Seniors Tomaf Clarke and Craig Miller will also start on a veteran team.
‘‘I think our prospects are looking pretty good,” said Rockville coach Cynthia Hollies. ‘‘We have quite a bit of experience.”
The Cavaliers boys are in the opposite boat, having graduated nine players from last year’s squad, all of whom played significant roles. Only senior setter Bryan Yu is back from a team that lost to the Warriors in the county semifinals, but middle blocker Sam Felix and hitter Edgar Guiterrez come over from the coed side to give Kennedy a chance to contend.
‘‘I’m trying to think of the last time a rookie came in and started for us, and there’s been maybe one in five years,” said Kennedy coach Wanda Hsiung. ‘‘Now we’ll have several. But we’re coming along faster than expected.”
Fast Facts
Boys players to watch
Mik Berzins, Sherwood (Sr., outside hitter), Alex Owens, Sherwood (Sr., hitter), Victor Silva, Walter Johnson (Sr., outside hitter), Bryan Yu, Kennedy (Sr., setter), Brandon Chen, Rockville (Sr., setter), Wayne Crim, Rockville (Sr., outside hitter)