Volleyball reunion brings out big guns

Mike Sciacca

More than three dozen former Laguna Beach High players and coaches

gathered in Dugger Gymnasium last Friday night to celebrate the school’s

boys’ volleyball program and play in the annual Alumni Game.

Among the group present were four former CIF players of the year,

numerous All-CIF and All-Orange County players and six players from the

school’s first boys’ volleyball team, the 1972 squad.

The alumni team was extended by the current Laguna Beach varsity team,

but prevailed in five games, 15-8, 17-15, 7-15, 9-15, 16-14.

Five of the alumni playing Friday were accomplished high school

coaches: Oz Simmons (Dana Hills); John Burns (Marina and Westminster);

Lance Stewart (Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar); Bill Christiansen

(Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar), and Dave Sorrell (La Habra and Costa

Mesa).

The first game opened with the core of the Artists’ 1975 championship

team taking the court, led by Simmons and Dusty Dvorak, both of whom

later played at USC, Cliff Amsden and John Burns (San Diego State) and

Wade Binley. They were assisted by James Plummer (Hawaii), Laguna Beach’s

first All-CIF player, Christiansen (UCLA), Neal Amsden (USC) and Dan

Brockman.

In the second game, former stars Stewart (Cal) and Rudy Dvorak (USC)

led the veterans against the varsity.

The current Artists climbed back into the match by winning the third

game, 15-7, against a 90s alumni group that included current college

players Miles McGann of USC and Griffin Cogorno and James Kimball of UC

San Diego.

Also at the Alumni Game were Leif Hanson (Hawaii), Blair Anderson

(Princeton), Jeff Plummer, JJ Conkey, “Diamond Dave” Sorrells, Hava

Davis, Woody White, Jesse Westgaard, Wyatt Strateman, Ryan Neptune, Kai

Bond, Chris Ballard and Jasun Weiner.

Every season of Laguna Beach boys’ volleyball was represented by a

coach or player.