Boys’ Volleyball Preview: Burroughs looks to continue league dominance
Burroughs High senior setter Ryan Van Loo, who shared Pacific League Player of the Year honors last season with former teammate Max Chamberlain, set a new school-record for assists in a season with 974.
- Share via
It seems the Burroughs High boys’ volleyball doesn’t rebuild, but reloads.
The Indians are coming off another successful season that included a sixth straight Pacific League championship and a place in the CIF Southern Section Division II semifinals.
Burroughs lost some key players from last season, namely co-league player of the year Max Chamberlain, who is now at Pepperdine. Last year he broke the school record for kills in a season with 344.
NEWSLETTER: Stay up to date with what’s going on in the 818 >>
In all, the Indians lost four seniors to graduation.
“That’s not a huge number, but we’re trying to replace a guy who’s at Pepperdine right now, along with our starting libero, who was pretty darn good, as well,” Burroughs Coach Joel Brinton said. “But I think we will do just fine.”
Across town, Burbank has its share of returners and Bellarmine-Jefferson looks for a return engagement to the playoffs. At Providence, the Pioneers have a new coach, who really isn’t new to the program. Andrew Bencze, the school’s athletic director as well as coach of the girls’ basketball team, returns to lead the boys’ volleyball team for the first time since 2004.
Here is a closer look at the teams.
BURROUGHS
Burroughs (30-4) had another stellar season in 2015. The Indians went undefeated in league play with a 12-0 record and advanced to the Division II semifinals for the first time. Burroughs will head into Pacific League play this season with a 44-match winning streak, having last lost to Claremont in five games on March 29, 2013.
“It is a super hard-working group this year and an exciting group,” Brinton said. “They are hungry and they still have a bad taste about losing in the playoffs last year. Returning five starters, including our setter, it’s a nice tone to set for everyone on the team, especially for the young guys coming up from the [junior varsity] team and freshman team. Hard work has not been an issue.”
Burroughs High senior Andrew D’almada, an All-CIF selection, is a key turning player for the Indians. The team will head into Pacific League play this season with a 44-match winning streak.
The cornerstone for the team is returning senior setter Ryan Van Loo, who shared league POY honors last season with Chamberlain, along with earning All-CIF accolades. Van Loo, who is headed to Lewis University, also ventured into unchartered territory in 2015, setting a new school-record single-season mark in assists with 974. He also collected 54 blocks, 145 digs and 14 aces.
“He has definitely gotten better,” Brinton said. “Knowing he’s going to play on the next level, he has really honed in on the small details because he knows they’re going to be important to him. His leadership and his ability to lead has grown exponentially.
“He is a giant luxury to have. Knowing that he’s going to touch the ball every time the ball comes over the net is really nice to have.”
Another key returner is All-CIF senior opposite Andrew D’almada, who also surpassed the previous school record for kills in a season and is now second behind Chamberlain with 298. He also tallied 156 digs, 40 aces and 29 blocks. He will be joined by all-league returners Bailey Carter (205 kills and 61 blocks), a senior middle blocker, and Cameron Capili (248 kills, 21 aces, 142 digs and 16.5 blocks), a senior outside hitter.
Battling for the team’s starting libero spot are a pair of juniors, Skyler Dercini and Everett Kanoho. Junior outside hitter Connor Ludmum will also be looked to upon to contribute.
“Along with the four seniors, we have some young guys who are competing and bringing it in practice every day,” Brinton said.
BURBANK
The Bulldogs (16-10, 7-5 in league) finished third in the Pacific League a season ago. Burbank fell in three games to Lakewood in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs.
“We did lose Willie Perryman to graduation and he is special and really irreplaceable,” Burbank Coach Patrick McMenamin said. “But we return a lot of starters and a lot of varsity players. We have got program kids who have gone through the ranks with us, so they know what to expect. So these guys are very seasoned.
“This group prides itself at working hard and having fun, and it’s been quite enjoyable so far.”
Burbank High senior libero Christian Park will team with all-league junior middle blocker Zach Cranmer and senior outside hitter Aram Krakirian to form a solid trio of leaders for the Bulldogs boys’ volleyball team.
Returning to lead the Bulldogs is all-league junior middle blocker Zach Cranmer, who had had 51 kills, 26 digs and 20 aces. Other all-league returners are senior libero Christian Park, who had 183 digs, and senior outside hitter Aram Krakirian, who had 157 kills, 200 digs and 23 aces.
McMenamin also expects contributions from senior outside hitter Brandon Alba, junior setter Jonathan Tapan and senior outside hitter Patrick Lance.
“In league, Burroughs is always going to be up there,” McMenamin said. “They are great and they have won the league for many years. Our mentally is that it’s all about us and we’ve got to take care of what’s within our control.”
Under McMenamin, Burbank had been able to steadily improve season to season.
“As a program, we’re proud of the fact that we’ve increased the number of wins from the previous season,” he said. “We are working on continuing that process this season.”
PROVIDENCE
Bencze takes over a program that went 15-9, 11-3 in the Liberty League, finishing in second place, two matches behind Oakwood. In the Division V playoffs, Providence swept Pilibos in the first round and was beaten by No. 3 Laguna Blanca in a sweep in the second round.
“The guys have been really receptive to me coming in and they have been working hard,” said Bencze, who took over for Josh Eggleston. “It’s kind of a unique group because there are 10 seniors out of our group of 12. So you hope that lends a little maturity to your team.
“Coach Eggleston and his assistant did a great job with the program and I’m just stepping in and kind of fine-tuning things and trying to bring them along in a natural progression. The only real difference in coaching is that I tend to break things down a lot more and I’m a stickler on the basic fundamentals. We need to master those fundamentals so hopefully, by the end of the season, we’re playing our best ball.”
Senior middle blocker Ethan Jacobson was a defensive force for the Providence High boys’ volleyball team last season. He tallied 101 blocks to go along with 46 kills and 22 digs.
The Pioneers return two important starters: senior outside hitter Kieran McGroaty and senior middle blocker Ethan Jacobson. Jacobson provided the Pioneers with an accomplished defensive force. He ended with 101 blocks to go along with 46 kills and 22 digs. McGroaty tallied 46 aces, 111 kills, 88 digs, 31 blocks and 30 assists.
“Kieran is a very good volleyball player and he should be pretty good from the outside for us,” Bencze said. “He has taken a lot of the load and he’s just a committed guy. Ethan has really improved the past few weeks and his blocking in the middle is really going to make a difference for us. He has a knack at the net at finding the ball.”
Other key returners are senior opposite Michael Buenaventura, senior Chris Lingat, who played outside last season and will also do some setting, and senior setter Grant Menke.
In league, Bencze said he expects defending champion Oakwood, Pacifica Christian and Holy Martyrs, along with his Pioneers, to all be in the mix for the championship
BELL-JEFF
Despite having just two wins, the Guards (2-6, 2-4 in league) finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Santa Fe League and won a coin flip to get a berth in the Division V playoffs. It was the program’s first postseason berth in six years. In the first round of the playoffs, Bell-Jeff was swept by Loma Linda Academy.
In his second season, Guards Coach Miguel Hungerford said he has a good mix of returning and young players.
“We are lucky around here at Bell-Jeff that we have such a small community that all these kids have either played together before or they have gone to school together before,” Hungerford said. “So it’s a good chemistry that we have.
“Like last season, we are bringing in some new players to our team and we are also bringing back some of the players that we had last season, so there’s a good mix. We are trying to build our program and things are coming along.”
Two players who the coach looks to contribute are senior setter AJ Perez and senior outside hitter David Van Dyke, who will also do some setting as well.
“Other than those two, we are still seeing what kind of talent we have and seeing where everyone is going to fit in,” Hungerford said.
In league, the coach said he thinks the stiffest competition will come from defending champion St. Genevieve.
“I’m really happy with the way we’ve progressed as a team in the past few weeks,” Hungerford said. “The older players are helping the younger players along and showing them what we want them to do and what to expect.
“Hopefully we’re a little more improved from last year and we can make it to the playoffs again.”
--
Jeff Tully, jeff.tully@latimes.com
Twitter: @jefftsports
--
ALSO:
Track and Field Preview: Returning talent hopes to fuel postseason run
