Dow Doesn’t Look Far for Help

Bud Dow takes a long look down his bench and, after taking note of the player sitting next to him, sees nothing but empty chairs, water bottles and a few scattered towels.

Dow is the boys’ volleyball coach at Chatsworth High, where only seven players are on the team.

With six players on the court at a time, the bench can be one of the loneliest places during a match.

“I make him sit next to me,” Dow said, referring to whichever player is on the bench. “I don’t let him go down to the end.”

Dow has the option of plucking players from the junior varsity, but said his players are quite comfortable now.

“I guess we’re lucky to have six or seven players who know each other and play together well,” middle blocker David Lurgh said.

Dow could beef up the roster, but. . . .

“They wanted to keep it the way it is, unless it was absolutely necessary to add somebody else,” the coach said of his players.

The Chancellors (3-2, 2-1 in Northwest Valley Conference play) are off to a good start despite their small roster. Both losses were in five-game matches.

“We’re a couple breaks from being [5-0],” said Dow, who normally wants to avoid the word break in any capacity.

“I told my players that none of them can get injured,” he said. “It’s not allowed.”

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In a sense, outside hitter Ryan Moberly of Royal was victim of a hit-and-run at last week’s Dos Pueblos tournament.

In between games of the tournament, Moberly was jogging with his teammates outside the UC Santa Barbara Events Center, which, unfortunately for Moberly, is adjacent to a bicycle path.

Last in the jogging line, Moberly did not see a biker and was struck on the left leg. He continued to play in the tournament, but was angry with the bicycle rider, who kept going.

“You see a team of 12 guys running your way, you should be careful,” Moberly said. “I guess he was just playing dodgeball with our players and I was the lucky winner.”

The biker is still at large.

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After a few early-season problems, which included a lackluster loss to Royal, highly touted Harvard-Westlake is close to straightening out its act.

At the Dos Pueblos tournament, the Wolverines played a tough game against Loyola in the tournament quarterfinals. The Wolverines actually led the one-game playoff, 14-13, but lost to Loyola, 17-15. The Cubs won the tournament, defeating Royal, 15-6.

The difference has been a more consistent lineup, with the move of Stanford-bound Will Curtis back to middle blocker after an experimental run at outside hitter.

“He’s not going back outside,” said Harvard-Westlake Coach Jess Quiroz. “We’re getting back on track.”