BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL 1995: PREVIEW : Nelson Continues Setting Up Laguna Beach for Success

It’s easy to see how Kurt Nelson could get lost in the shuffle.

Nelson, a 6-foot-4 senior setter at Laguna Beach, plays alongside Dan Styles, one of the most powerful hitters and top all-around players in the section.

Kurt is also related to Byron Nelson.

OK, so Kurt’s father was a football standout at UCLA, not the famous golfer. But fans still remember his father’s exploits with Gary Beban, helping UCLA win the 1966 Rose Bowl after staging a furious comeback victory over USC.

Kurt Nelson doesn’t mind blending in, but that doesn’t mean the volleyball community hasn’t noticed his talents.

UCLA, Stanford, UC Irvine and Pepperdine are all recruiting Nelson, who was a first-team All-Southern Section Division I selection and a Pacific Coast League co-MVP last season.

“Setters never get the credit they deserve,” Laguna Beach Coach Michael Soylular said. “Where would Dan be without Kurt?

“It’s like in basketball, Schea Cotton gets all the credit for Mater Dei winning, but what about the defense? In volleyball, the hitters get all of the attention. But the true fans know what it takes and coaches know that without a good setter, you won’t win the big match.”

Nelson has also impressed opposing coaches.

“Kurt and (San Clemente 6-5 junior Brandon) Taliaferro are probably the best setters in Orange County,” said Huntington Beach Coach Rocky Ciarelli, whose team defeated Laguna Beach in last season’s Division I final. “Kurt puts up a good block, plays good defense, has a good all-around game and has a good head on his shoulders.”

Nelson has taken Advanced Placement and college prep courses and he has a 3.5 grade-point average. Academics will weigh heavily in choosing a college.

“I know I won’t be playing volleyball after college,” Nelson said. “So the education will be very important.”

Said Soylular: “Kurt is a great student in the classroom and that carries onto the court. He’s also a competitor and a winner.”

Nelson has always been a winner and faced high expectations before he even arrived at Laguna Beach High.

“I was supposed to be this great setter,” Nelson said. “They were already calling me the next David Berney.”

Berney starts at USC, continuing a long line of successful volleyball players who have played at Laguna Beach, helping the Artists win section championships in 1975, ‘77, ‘81, ’82 and ’83.

“It pushes me when I see those banners every day,” Nelson said. “It makes me try that much harder, so that hopefully, one day I can walk in and say, ‘Hey, I won that one.’ I like that tradition.”

After setting for the junior varsity as a freshman, Nelson made the varsity in 1993 and backed up Berney. But Nelson made an unexpected debut as a starter when Berney was suspended for disciplinary reasons just before a match against Capistrano Valley, then ranked No. 1 in Orange County.

“That was the first varsity match that I ever set as a starter,” Nelson said. “It was one of the most fun matches in my life. Half the team was hurt and the last people on the bench were playing . . . and we stayed right with them.”

Capistrano Valley, led by player of the year Eric Seiffert, won a close match. Nelson finished with 63 assists.

“We lost in five, but we shouldn’t have even won one game,” Soylular said. “I think Kurt felt after that match that he could do the job.”

Last season, volleyball became too much of a job for Nelson. Although the Artists were successful, Nelson didn’t enjoy it.

“It felt like we weren’t having any fun,” Nelson said.

Facing his final high school season, Nelson wanted to bring the fun back, so he started by playing basketball, as he did in his freshman and sophomore years. It payed dividends.

Nelson was the team’s second leading scorer and leading rebounder, helping Laguna Beach finish second in league.

“He brought a lot of intensity and he came to play every day,” basketball Coach Bret Fleming said. “And with that conditioning, now he steps on the volleyball floor and knows he’s in better shape than any of his teammates.”

Those teammates also know of Nelson’s importance.

Said Soylular: “If Kurt went down, we wouldn’t win anything.”

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Volleyball at a Glance

Top players: Jeremy Bart, Huntington Beach, Sr., OH; Mike Blackner, Garden Grove, Sr., OH; Clay Burton, Corona del Mar, Sr., MB; Steve Cavella, Marina, Sr., S; Bill Coblentz, El Toro, Sr., OH; Brian Coleman, Corona del Mar, Sr., OH; Chris Congo, Trabuco Hills, Sr., OH; Jody Cook-Fisher, Huntington Beach, Sr., OH; Geoff Cunningham, Esperanza, Sr., S; Gabe Gardner, San Clemente, Sr., OH; Matt Geissman, Valencia, Sr., S; John Hefty, Aliso Niguel, So., S; Steve Hilbert, El Toro, Sr., OH; Curtis Jackson, Tustin, Sr., OH; Andy Lauridsen, Orange, Sr., OH; Kurt Nelson, Laguna Beach, Sr., S; Trey Nelson, Santa Margarita, Jr., MB; Matt Nichols, Foothill, Sr., OH; Mark Pozsgai, Mater Dei, Sr., OH; Kevin Reid, Woodbridge, Sr., OH; Ryan Rex, Esperanza, Sr., MB; Robert Schildts, Calvary Chapel, Sr., MB; Greg Slick, Newport Harbor, Sr., OH; Dan Styles, Laguna Beach, Sr., OH; Brandon Taliaferro, San Clemente, Jr., S; Dave Tomlinson, St. Margaret’s, Sr., MB; Ryan Villmer, El Modena, Sr., MB; Matt Wright, Calvary Chapel, Sr, OH; Chad Wronka, Trabuco Hills, Sr., MB.

League favorites: Century: Foothill; Empire: Valencia; Garden Grove: La Quinta; Golden West: Tustin; Olympic: Calvary Chapel; Pacific Coast: Laguna Beach; Sea View: Irvine; South Coast: San Clemente; Sunset: Huntington Beach.

1994 final poll: 1. El Toro; 2. Laguna Beach; 3. Huntington Beach; 4. Esperanza; 5. San Clemente; 6. Calvary Chapel; 7. Dana Hills; 8. Corona del Mar; 9. Newport Harbor; 10. Canyon.

1995 preseason poll: 1. Huntington Beach, 2. San Clemente, 3. Laguna Beach, 4. Capistrano Valley, 5. Fountain Valley, 6. Irvine, 7. El Toro, 8. Corona del Mar, 9. Calvary Chapel, 10. Tustin.

Key dates: Orange County Championships, Marina High, March 17-18; Redondo Beach tournament, April 29; Southern Section playoffs begin May 12. Southern Section finals, all divisions, May 27.

Notes: El Toro graduated the bulk of its Division I semifinal team, including The Times Orange County player of the year, Ryan Mariano (Long Beach State) and Todd Steinert (Brigham Young) and Chris Jacobson (Pepperdine). But the Chargers still will be strong with Coblentz and Hilbert leading the way. . . . Irvine and Corona del Mar are considered the Sea View League favorites with last season’s South Coast League champion, El Toro. “Every match is going to be tough,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said. . . . Huntington Beach Coach Rocky Ciarelli watched his nephew, Nick Ziegler, dye his hair purple during the Oilers’ charge to their second consecutive Division I championship last season. Ziegler plays football at Colorado now, so Ciarelli made only one prediction for this season: “The team should keep the same hair color all year.”