It’s hard to get anything past these two

In a community that cherishes its beaches and worships its volleyball players, there’s much to admire about 6-foot-8 Dylan Davis and 6-6 Gus Ellis, imposing middle blockers at Corona del Mar High.

When they stretch their long arms above the net, they become the Great Wall of Newport Beach.

Corona del Mar has won six Southern Section volleyball championships, including the Division II title last season when Davis and Ellis played prominent roles on a team that finished 33-2.

Davis, a junior, could be the No. 1 college prospect in the Southland for 2009. He was selected the most valuable player last summer at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic Championships in the boys’ 16 open division, which was won by his club team, Balboa Bay Quiksilver.

“He’s a 6-8 monster,” Ellis said of his teammate.

Ellis is no slouch himself. A senior headed to Stanford, he’s an aggressive, physical player who has a 4.0 grade-point average and has overcome Type 1 diabetes that requires him to self-administer shots of insulin.

“I think a lot of people are frightened by blood,” Ellis said. “It can’t be the case with me.”

But Ellis has refused to let diabetes affect his volleyball.

“He’s a driven person,” Coach Steve Conti said.

Having been diagnosed with the disease at age 1, Ellis was immediately forced to become more mature than his peers. He must always understand what and when to eat to make sure his body functions properly.

“It’s really made it obvious to me that you can’t avoid your problems,” he said. “If you have something you need to deal with, you really have to deal with it right away. Diabetes is one of those things I can close my eyes and think whatever I want, but it’s still going to be there.”

Playing together, the Sea Kings’ giants can change the momentum of a match just by sending a shot crashing to the ground. A successful block impacts opponents, teammates and fans.

“One moment, the hitter probably thinks he’s got a clear shot, and then with a blink of the eye, there’s a hand in his face, and it’s blocking the ball straight down,” Ellis said. “It’s demoralizing.”

Added Davis: “I feel it shuts down a team right when it happens. You can see the expression.”

And how does a player become a successful blocker?

“Probably the most important thing for blocking, just like any defensive maneuver, is sheer desire,” Ellis said. “I think you really have to want to go for the jugular on the other team. It’s about sequencing, seeing the setter’s hands, the hitter’s approach, watching the ball.”

Added Davis: “It’s, ‘How much do you really want it?’ ”

Davis’ potential has college coaches salivating.

“He’s still got a huge window for improvement,” Conti said. “What makes him unique is that he understands he’s had some success and hasn’t let it get to his head. Our expectation is for him to get better every single day in practice.”

And that’s what Davis has done, working on his quickness while trying to become more of a complete player.

“I always think there’s something I can improve on,” he said. “Even the person who’s the best volleyball player in the world, there’s probably something he can improve on.”

Having players the caliber of Ellis and Davis on the court at the same time is an obvious advantage for Corona del Mar, 16-5 overall and 4-0 in the Pacific Coast League. If one is not performing well on a given night, the other can provide motivation. And both understand people are watching.

“It’s definitely important to have a little showmanship, but the most important thing is being a good teammate,” Ellis said. “Dylan and I have a good relationship. We never compete. We compete against the other team.”

Corona del Mar is on a collision course to face Division II favorite Valencia, the team it beat in last season’s title match. The teams could meet in the one-day Santa Barbara tournament April 19.

What’s certain is that Ellis and Davis are the quintessential volleyball players who know how to produce an exciting sports moment by using skills they’ve developed through years of hard work.

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eric.sondheimer@latimes.com