Crespi Gets Clubbed by Hoover

Crespi High Coach Alvin Lamarre knows Nick Marbach and Andrew Russell can play high-caliber volleyball because he coaches them on a club team.

Lamarre learned what it was like to coach against them Wednesday, and he won’t be anxious to repeat it any time soon.

Marbach and Russell led Hoover to a 15-5, 15-11, 15-17, 15-11 nonleague victory over Crespi in a season opener for both teams.

Marbach had 28 kills, eight aces and only eight errors. Russell delivered 15 kills for the host Tornadoes, who looked unstoppable in the first two games when the 6-foot-8 Marbach punched holes in the Crespi defense.

“Everything he touched went down,” Russell said.

When Marbach wasn’t in the middle of a kill or an ace, he couldn’t help but sneak a peek at Lamarre on the other side of the net.

“I was telling Andy during the game how weird it was to look and see [Lamarre] on the other bench,” Marbach said. “It was kind of funny.”

The Tornadoes seemed to tire, or perhaps they lost interest, leaving Crespi room to fend off two match points en route to a third-game victory.

Helping Crespi’s cause in the third game was USC-bound Ryan Hill, who had five of his 20 kills, and James Spratt, who recorded five of his 14 kills.

But the Tornadoes came back in the fourth game, with Marbach picking up eight kills.

“Nick was the difference,” said Lamarre, before sizing up Crespi’s inexperience.

“I really think we’ll be there at the end of the year. But now, we’ll take our lumps.”