TIMES ALL-REGION VOLLEYBALL TEAM : Rauth Was a Model Who Turned Heads

The Harvard-Westlake High boys’ volleyball team was about to play its regular-season finale and needed a laugh. A sizable one too, considering the opponent was top-ranked and undefeated Mira Costa.

It was the perfect time for an impromptu modeling session, Rick Rauth-style.

Rauth and Jason Morrow showed up for practice in nothing but skivvies. And with straight faces, they told Coach Jess Quiroz they were ready to play. Their teammates couldn’t stop laughing.

“That’s just the way they are,” Quiroz said. “The Calvin Klein Juniors. I told their parents that their sons should be out there selling underwear in ads.”

The Wolverines lost to Mira Costa but achieved plenty this season. They were undefeated in the Mission League and advanced to the Southern Section Division I semifinals for the first time.

Rauth, a 6-foot-4 senior swing hitter, led the way and is The Times’ boys’ volleyball player of the year. He was co-most valuable player of the Mission League, led his team in kills and blocks and was exceptional in the playoffs.

In a second-round sweep of Santa Barbara, he had 15 kills and 11 blocks.

“He took control,” Quiroz said. “He took off on blocks and controlled the net.”

In the quarterfinals against Esperanza, Rauth had 36 kills.

He had 16 in a rematch with Mira Costa, but the Wolverines were ousted by the Mustangs.

“You can’t use that one loss to judge what he’s accomplished all these years,” Quiroz said. “He has good control of the game. He constantly tries to be better than the other person and he succeeds.”

Rauth’s all-around abilities, which include passing and serving, earned him a scholarship from UC Santa Barbara.