Ready to Sail

Newport Harbor’s Travis Nelson has established himself as one of the top setters in Orange County. But sometimes, that isn’t enough for his coach, Dan Glenn.

It isn’t uncommon to see Glenn lay into Nelson even as the Sailors are winning a boys’ volleyball match in three games.

“I’ve known Travis since he was born,” Glenn said. “I’m really hard on him and that probably hasn’t been the best way to work with him. But he’s always responded to me really well.”

Glenn’s prodding, Nelson’s club volleyball experience at Balboa Bay and tireless work habits have helped the 6-foot-2 senior lead Newport Harbor to a perfect start. Well, almost perfect.

Newport Harbor (8-0, 4-0 in league), ranked No. 1 in Orange County, did lose a best two-of-three match to rival Corona del Mar in the Division I final of the Orange County Championships, a match that took 2 1/2 hours. Newport Harbor gets its rematch April 21.

“That loss was a slap in the face we needed to really wake us up,” Nelson said. “I thought we could be good, but I didn’t know we’d be this good. Right now, we’re just focused on beating Corona.”

Nelson has a little extra incentive. He transferred from Corona del Mar as a freshman, but he still has plenty of friends there.

“I get a lot of heat from those guys,” Nelson said laughing. “They tell me we’d have the top-ranked team in the state if I’d stayed there. But I’m at a better school with a better team.”

Nelson jokes with his former schoolmates and enjoys a similar relationship with Glenn.

“He’s more than just a coach,” Nelson said. “I think if he just lets me play, I’ll do my best. But I know he doesn’t play favorites and he’ll never let me slide. When I do something wrong and he lays into me, I just take it.

“I know he’s teaching me and I need to take his advice.”

One suggestion Glenn made is for Nelson to tone down his aggressive style.

“He has the mentality of an outside hitter,” Glenn said. “And that’s not a fault, but Travis wants to go 100% all the time and he wants to be very aggressive and always make the tough set and a perfect set.

“But sometimes, you don’t care if people know where you’re going to set the ball. Just make a good set.”

Nelson is receptive to Glenn’s advice because the coach and his mother, Selby Schriber, are long-time friends. Glenn met Schriber when they were both working at a local seafood restaurant when Glenn was attending Orange Coast College.

“My mom was dating [Glenn’s] roommate,” Nelson said. “I just grew up around volleyball, probably since I was 2.”

Nelson has learned well. Although he said last season, his drive for perfection took its toll on his teammates.

“I’d get more [ticked] off at myself for not making the right play, but I think that brought my teammates down,” Nelson said. “I’m learning to relax a little more.”

But that doesn’t mean Nelson is laid back on the court.

“Travis is a fighter and a battler,” Glenn said. “He won’t quit and he’s not going to panic in the big situations.”

Nelson helped Balboa Bay win the Stanford Invitational tournament just before the high school season, playing beside some of the county’s best, including Santa Margarita’s Marcus Skacel, who will attend Stanford, and Corona del Mar’s Greg Burden (Arizona).

Although he has played with and against some high-profile recruits, Nelson won’t play in Division I next season because he said his grades and SAT scores didn’t meet some universities’ entrance requirements.

So although some of the nation’s top collegiate programs, including USC and Long Beach State, were recruiting Nelson, he plans to attend Golden West College in the fall.

That’s the same route his stepsister Tracy Schriber took. Schriber played at Golden West before earning a scholarship to UCLA.

But Nelson isn’t worried about the future right now. He’s focusing on a Sea View League title and hopefully postseason success.

“CIF makes the high school season special,” Nelson said. “I think we have an awesome team and we have the capability. We just have to keep it going.”