Mira Costa Can Prove It’s Best Ever

Whenever the phrase best ever is used in connection with a high school team, it is usually met with some skepticism.

But when comparisons are made with this season’s Manhattan Beach Mira Costa High boys’ volleyball team, it is difficult to argue that this Mustang team is not the best ever.

In a sport that has been dominated by Southern California teams over the years, Mira Costa’s 18-0 record speaks for itself as the Mustangs head into the Southern Section playoffs, which will begin with wild-card play Wednesday.

The Mustangs are the top-rated team in the nation, after finishing 21-1 and Southern Section 4-A Division runner-up last season.

They have five college Division I prospects on the team--four seniors who have committed to volleyball at major college powers next season and a junior who most likely will do the same in two years.

Five of the six starting Mustangs are taller than 6 feet 3 inches, and the two players who split time in the final starting position could star on most prep teams.

Last summer, two of the Mustangs started on U.S. Olympic Festival teams, which are composed mostly of college starters.

In its only tournament this season, Mira Costa breezed through a strong 29-team field and won its own Redondo-Mira Costa Varsity Classic two weeks ago.

And, for the first time, this year’s team defeated Mira Costa’s alumni team, which is made up of many established professional players.

“If we win it all, yes, this would have to be considered as one of the best teams ever,” Coach Mike Cook said.

In Cook’s 10 years at the school, he has won either Ocean or Bay League championships in all but one season. The Mustangs won the Southern Section 4-A title in 1984, and finished second in 1987 and 1989.

“This is physically the most talented team I have ever had,” Cook said.

Leading the way for Mira Costa is 6-4 senior setter Canyon Ceman, who will attend Stanford next fall. Ceman, who also played basketball for Mira Costa, has a 4.0 grade-point average and was a finalist for the state’s scholar-athlete award.

“He is very strong with great leg strength,” Cook said of Ceman, who started on the gold-medal winning West team in last summer’s U.S. Olympic Festival. “He has such a wonderful future and the funny thing is, the guy he beat out to start in the Olympic Festival is Stanford’s starting setter now.”

Joining Ceman is 6-4 UCLA-bound David Swatik, who was a first-team All Southern Section selection last season.

Swatik, a powerful outside hitter who started for the bronze-medal winning North team in the Olympic Festival, was the most valuable player in the Redondo-Mira Costa tournament with 50 kills in 12 games.

Senior Pat Ivie, a 6-5 middle blocker, is the vocal leader of the Mustangs. His brother, Bryan, a 1987 Mira Costa graduate, was MVP of USC’s recent NCAA tournament championship victory last Saturday night.

“He is a very good competitive athlete,” Cook said of the younger Ivie. “He is just fundamentally sound.”

Ivie, who will attend USC with his brother next season, may be the Mustangs’ best all-around player.

“I don’t give out accolades easy, but all three could be on the ’92 Olympic team,” Cook said of Ceman, Swatik and Ivie.

Adding to the Mustangs’ list of talented players is senior Mike Ashenfelter, a 6-7 middle blocker and power server, who has also committed to USC.

Ashenfelter is the Mustangs’ most improved player and best server despite his size.

“Mike couldn’t even spike as a freshman but he has gotten more and more coordination each year,” Cook said. “He has a great serve where he uses his height to his advantage. He serves bullets, like a baseball pitcher’s curveball.”

Mark Shoptaw, a 6-3 junior outside hitter, is the Mustangs’ star for next season.

“Colleges are already after him and rightfully so because he is a fine player,” Cook said. Two seniors, 5-11 Brian Thurston and 5-10 Craig Beck, share the Mustangs’ final starting position.

“They both would be starters for anybody else,” Cook said. “Thurston has a lot of spring and Beck is our best defensive player.”

Despite his team’s rave reviews, Cook is concerned about upsets in the playoffs.

“We are beatable,” he said. “If we are out of sync and not playing well, anything can happen.”

Last season, the Mustangs lost to Corona del Mar in the Southern Sectional final.

“But, they do have a chance to be 22-0 and become a very special team, like the undefeated ’84 team,” Cook said of the Mustangs.

Pitcher Kym Weil of Newhall Hart broke the Southern Section record for softball victories with her 82nd last week, a 1-0 eight-inning triumph over San Gabriel.

Weil, a senior who has a 21-1 record this season, broke the old mark of 81 set last season by DeDe Weiman of Gahr.

After missing most of the outdoor track season with injuries, Hawthorne sprinters Chris Alexander and Erik Allen made their comebacks in the Bay League finals last week.

Alexander, who will attend UCLA on a football scholarship in the fall, won the 100 meters with a wind-aided time of 10.86 seconds and ran third in the 200 with a time of 22.2.

Allen, a junior, finished third in the 100 with a time of 11.10 and second in the 200 in 22.1.

Both runners will be needed if Hawthorne is to successfully defend its boys’ state team title June 1-2.

In the Northern League meet, Napoleon Kaufman of Lompoc was impressive in winning the 100 in a wind-aided 10.3 and the 100 in 21.1. He also had a winning long jump of 22-6.

Andre Green of Long Beach Poly was almost as impressive in the Moore League meet. A senior, he won the 100 in 10.6 and the 200 in 21.1.