VOLLEYBALL

The Southern Section recently adopted a plan to regionalize the boys’ volleyball playoffs beginning next school year, a decision that may be popular with principals concerned about travel budgets but is unpopular with coaches. Michael Cook, who coaches top-ranked Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, serves on the section’s volleyball committee and said that he was barely consulted. “My athletic director came to me with that [format change] in December and I told him that it was very negative. The committee also said it was negative in December, but coaches have very little input,” Cook said. “The CIF exists and works for the principals.”

The cause for the move is to save travel money. “The schools wanted it,” said Karen Hellyer, associate commissioner of the Southern Section. “My understanding was that it would cut down on travel and the schools would be able to play ones that are close. Overall, it should be more economical, stimulating regional interest and at the same time maximizing financial savings to the individual schools.”

In Division I, for example, if sixth-ranked Santa Barbara San Marcos was to face second-ranked Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, one team would have to travel through two counties for the match. To Cook, though, regionalization takes the meaning out of winning a title. As far as costs, he claims that volleyball is a sport that makes money. “You know what it will do?” he asked. “You’ll have all kinds of divisions. Championships won’t mean very much. What the talk will be now is ‘What can we do to bring the regional title winners together?’ But maybe the upshot is that there will be a state playoff for boys like there is for girls.”