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GRIFFINS
OPEN SUNSET LEAGUE PLAY WITH 3-2 WIN OVER FOUNTAIN VALLEY. |
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| Front) Brian Miller, Evan
Kaplan, Dewey Thomasson, Alec Maggi, Sean Senozan;
(Back Row) Kevin Crosby, Garrett Sell, Zack Theodore, Matt Markel,
asst. coach Mike Whitcomb, Head Coach Dave Huber, Kyle McElderry,
Michael Strawther, Dylan Bakker, Nick DePrez.
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April 15, 2008
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Griffins get back on winning
track, down Esperanza 3-0
After two tough losses, the Los Al Boys Volleyball
team finished the first half of its league season on a winning
note, downing Esperanza 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-21) at Los Al on
Tuesday.
Kyle McElderry had 13 kills
in 21 attempts and Michael Strawther added eight
kills to lead the Griffins. Libero Dewey Thomas
added 16 digs.
The win was a welcome break after tough losses
to Newport Harbor and Edison the previous week. The loss against
Edison was especially tough as unforced errors by the Griffins
proved to be the difference in that match. But the game against
Newport Harbor was a simple case of the best team winning that
day.
Newport Harbor came into the match as the No.
1 team in CIF Division I and showed why. Los Al played very well
and jumped to early leads and had chances to win Game 1 and Game
3 but the Sailors made some great plays to keep the ball alive
enough until they had the chance to put their games away.
Los Al, which improved its league record to
3-2 and 17-8 overall, travels to Fountain Valley on Friday, then
hosts Marina and Edison next week. |
April 8, 2008
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Los Al can't finish, falls
to Edison 3-1
The Los Al Boys volleyball team put itself
in a big hole in the Sunset League race by falling to Edison 3-1
on Tuesday afternoon on the winners court.
The loss gave them a 2-1 league record and
put them in a must win situation for Friday night's match at Newport
Harbor, the No. 1 team in CIF Division I.
Los Al has only itself to blame for Tuesday’s
loss to Edison. The Griffins gave up late leads in both the first
and fourth games in losing 26-24, 25-16, 24-26, 26-24. In the
final game they held a late six point lead before self-destructing
in a sea of unforced errors.
Junior Brian Miller led the Griffins with
13 kills in 20 attempts. Junior setter Sean Senozan had 40 assists,
but only 11 went to the middle where Los Al has a kill percentage
near 60%. When Los Al jumped out to an 11-0 record, the middles
were recording over a collective 15 kills a match. In recent games,
most of the Griffin sets have gone to the outside hitters whose
collective kill percentage is in the 30 per cent range. To be
fair, much of that low percentage is due to the opponents correctly
predicting the set and being able to put up a double and sometimes
triple block. Whatever the case, over the last twelve games, Los
Al has lost seven while winning only five, and seen their overall
record drop to 16-7.
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April 4, 2008
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Griffins struggle but down
Marina 3-1
The Los Al; Boys Volleyball team improved to
2-0 in Sunset League play, but looked inconsistent and unimpressive
while downing winless Marina 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-22, 25-16)
on the Vikings home court.
Senior outside hitter Kyle McElderry led Los
Al with 12 kills, and senior middle blocker Michael Strawther
added 10. Junior Sean Senozan had 43 assists, but the team's over
all effort impressed neither their fans or coaching staff.
“We have to get back to doing some things
we did very well at the beginning,” noted Griffin coach
Dave Huber. Most notable of those would be keeping the middle
– especially senior middle Matt Markel - involved in the
offensive attack. Markel only had five kills in last Friday’s
match. When the Griffin middles have gotten 18 kills in a match
they are unbeaten. Not only do they have a very high kill percentage,
but it gives the outside hitters more one on one opportunities.
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March 7, 2008
Los Al takes fourth at Best of the West Invitational
Although they drew no votes or mention in any
pre-season polls. after their showing at the Best of the West
Boys Volleyball Invitational, this year's Los Al Boys Volleyball
team can not count on being overlooked any longer.
The Griffins reached the tournament semi-finals
and went 5-2 in the two-day, 32-team tournament which drew most
of the top teams from all over California, and 28-time Hawaii
state champ Punahou.
Although they dropped their last two matches
of the two day marathon tournament. the Griffin netters made their
presence known with five straight wins, including a quarterfinal
victory over Hawaiian powerhouse Punahou -- a school not only
known as Barack
Obama's alma mater (he was known as Barry
Obama then) -- but also for the fact that it had won four
straight Hawaiian state championships, and reportedly 85 straight
matches (although per the Hawaiian newspaper accounts I read,
I can only verify they were undfeated the past two seasons --
about 40 straight matches). In any case they fell to the Griffins
in three. (27-25, 25-27, 15-13).
 Los
Al opened the tournament with three impressive pool play wins
on Friday, sweeping Torrey Pines 25-17, 25-21), Orange Lutheran
(25-12, 26-24) and Loyola (25-22, 25-23), the No. 3 ranked team
in CIF-Southern Section Division I.
Against Torrey Pines, senior Kyle
McElderry, who would earn all-tourney honors along with libero
Dewey Thomason,
led Los Al with seven kills, while junior setter Sean
Senozan had 20 assists. Senior Dylan
Bakker led Los Al against Lutheran with nine kills, followed
by Michael Strawther
with eight in a game which saw Los Al hold a six-point lead, but
let Lutheran rally to take a one-point lead, before a sideout
kill by Strawther who then followed up with two service aces to
put the match away. Brian
Miller had six kills in both matches.
The Griffins finished off the day with 25-22
and 25-23 wins over Loyola, the No. 3 ranked team in the pre-season
CIF Division I coaches poll. McElderry led Los Al with six kills
and two aces
The wins advanced them to the 16-team Gold
Bracket play, where they opened with a 25-20, 25-18 over Granite
Bay of Central California. That set up a match against Punahou,
considered by many as one of the top teams in the nation. They
are certainly the top program in volleyball crazy Hawaii, where
they have won 28 of 38 state championships. Saturday, they had
to play without starting setter Eric Shoji (a libero on the US
team at the World Youth Games) who was back at the hotel with
a 102 fever.
The Buffanblu (their nickname from their colors)
still had enough depth -- especially in the form of junior Madison
McKibbin, considered one of the best players in the nation --
to bring their A game to the court and down Edison in three. All
three games against Los Al were fiercely contested. Los Al won
the first game 27-25 and had match point in the second game, but
couldn't put it away and Punahou came back to win 27-25. Because
all of the other quarter-final matches had ended, fans and players
crowded around Court 1, giving the rubber game of the Los Al-Punahou
match a championship game atmosphere.
Things looked bad for Los Al when Punahou took
a 9-5 lead, but Los Al rallied to take a 13-12 lead. The teams
traded sideouts and then Strawther served an ace into the right
corner to give Los Al the victory.
McElderry led Los Al in kills with 12, and
Markel added 8. Senozan had 32 assists and libero Dewey Thomason
(above left) kept Los Al alive numerous times with ten digs.
The win over Punahou and the marathon day seemed
to emotionally drain Los Al which would have had a real battle
anyway against No. 2 seed Valencia, a very tall and strong opponent
under any circumstances. The Griffins didn't help their cause
with unforced service and passing errors, the inevitable result
of tired legs and arms, and emotional ups and downs, and ended
up losing 25-17, 25-21.
Los Al also went in two to Loyola in a third
place re-match, 25-22, 25-21.
The Griffins are now 11-2 on the season, and
return to action with a Wednesday afternoon match at Long Beach
Wilson.
Next weekend the Griffins conclude their non-league
schedule with another tough tournament, the OC Championships,
hosted by Edison High School.
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| March 1, 2008
Griffins down Santa Margarita to win first Mater
Dei Nike Invitational
 Apparently
preferring to dig themselves out of a hole, the Los Al Griffins
Boys Volleyball team three times rallied from a first game loss
to win four matches and win the first Nike Boys Invitational Tournament,
held at Mater Dei High School on Saturday.
The Griffins defeated Santa Margarita 3-1 in
the championship match, winning three straight games 26-24, 25-20,
25-18 after dropping the first game 20-25.
Senior outside hitter Kyle McElderry had 13
kills in 30 attempts in the match, and senior middle blocker Michael
Strawther added twelve kills in fifteen attempts. Junior setter
Sean Senozan added had 35 assists and led the team with four blocks.
With the wins, Los Al improved its season record
to 5-0. They next play at home Tuesday against Millikan, then
travel next weekend to San Diego to play in the Best of the West
Tournament at Poway High School.
The lose-the-first-game/win-the-match formula
was a routine the Griffins perfected earlier in the long day during
pool play, as the Griffins downed Mater Dei 24-26, 25-20, 15-13
and Santa Margarita 16-25, 25-22, 15-11, before making things
somewhat easier on their fans and coach Dave Huber in a two game
win over Mission Viejo, 30-28 and 25-21.
McElderry was given the tourney MVP award,
but he had close competition from the two senior middle blockers,
Strawther and Matt Markel. Strawther converted 16 of 22 kills
attempts (a kill percentage of 68.7%) throughout the four matches
while Markel was 19-of-37 (54.2%). McElderry was 46-of-85 (54.1%).
GAME 1 — Los Al 2, Mater Dei 1 (24-26, 25-20,
15-13)
KILLS: Kyle McElderry 10, Matt Markel 7, Brian Miller 7
ASSISTS: Kevin Crosby 10;
BLOCKS: Michael Strawther 3
GAME 2 - Los Al 2, Santa Margarita 1 (16-25, 25-22,
15-11)
KILLS: McElderry 16, Dylan Bakker 6, Miller 2
ASSISTS: Sean Senozan 23
BLOCKS: 4 players with 1
DIGS: Dewey Thomason 7
GAME 3 - Los Al 2, Mission Viejo 0 (30-28, 25-21)
KILLS: McElderry 7, Strawther 4, Markel 3, Zack Theodore 2
ASSISTS: Senozan 10, Crosby 5
BLOCKS: Strawther 4
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME — Los Al 3, Santa Margarita
1
KILLS: McElderry 13, Strawther 12, Markel 6, Bakker 5, Miller
4
ASSISTS: Senozan 35
BLOCKS: Senozan 4
DIGS: Bakker 5, Miller 4, McElderry 4
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February 27, 2008
Griffins down Redondo 3-1 in opener
 The
Los Al Boys Volleyball team opened the 2008 season by downing
Redondo 3-1 (25-12, 22-25, 25-22, 25-17) Wednesday evening at
the loser's court.
Senior outside hitter Dylan
Bakker (left) led Los Al with 13 kills, followed by senior
middle block Matt
Markel with nine. Senior outside hitter Kyle
McElderry had eight kills.
Junior setter Sean
Senozan had 34 assists and 4 aces.
The Griffins, CIF quarter-finalists last
season, came out guns blazing in the first game, as Senozan,
a three-year Varsity player, opened the match by serving for
eight straight points and breezed to an early victory
Perhaps aided by overconfidence on the part
of Los Al (as well as a number of unforced errors), Redondo
rallied to win the second game. Los Al came back to win the
third and fourth, although the Seahawks kept it close with an
impressive number of digs to thwart what at first seemed to
be sure Griffin points.
The Griffins open this season as a bit of
an unknown commodity, having lost four players—Kevin
Carroll, Srdjan Nadazdin, Greg Kroneberger and Grant
Metheny —to graduation and Division I college scholarships.
Carroll and Metheny are starting at UC Irvine and Rutgers-Newark,
while Nadazdin (Long Beach State) and Kroneberger (Cal State
Northridge) are redshirting.
But they also return four players who started
much of last season in McElderry, middle blockers Markel and
Michael Strawther,
and libero Dewey
Thomason. And in Senozan, they have a three-year Varsity
player who has been invited to national youth team camps.
Junior Brian
Miller and Bakker will get first shot at the other outside
hitting roles, with Garrett
Sell, Evan Kaplan
and Zack Theodore
also competing for playing time.
Alec
Maggi saw time as a defensive specialist in Wednesday's
match, while Nick
DePrez and Kevin
Crosby gives the team depth at the setter and middle blocker
spots.l
The loss of Carroll, an all-CIF player and
junior national team member, will be the toughest spot to fill.
Not just for his hitting, but for his back row passing and his
overall fundamental soundness, especially his footwork prior
to hitting the ball. Carroll always hustled to get himself in
position to make a hit while approaching the net. Yesterday,
the Griffin outside hitters were a little inconsistent in this
aspect.
Los Al (1-0) next plays in the Mater Dei
Challenge on Saturday.
The JV squad lost its first game, but rallied
to win the last two and take its match.
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CIF Division I
Poll
(Released April 21)
1. Newport Harbor
2. Mira Costa
3. Loyola
4. Santa Margarita.
5. Woodbridge
6. Edison
7. San Clemente
8. LB Wilson
9. Foothill
10.Los Alamitos
also receiving votes: Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Mater
Dei,
Pre-season poll
(Released Feb. 11)
1. Mira Costa
2. Newport Harbor
3. Loyola
4. San Clemente
5. Woodbridge
6. Santa Margarita
7. St. John Bosco
8. Edison
9. Fountain Valley
10. LB Wilson
Others: Mater Dei, Others: Arroyo Grande,
Others: California, Mission Viejo, Westlake
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| Latest OC Register Orange
County rankings.
(as of Feb. 26)
1. Newport Harbor: Kyle Caldwell (UCLA) turns
to volleyball after successful basketball season.
2. Corona del Mar: The Sea Kings will try to
repeat as CIF champions.
3. Santa Margarita: The Eagles have a good foundation
with seniors Andrew Pavlovich and Steven Shandrick (USC).
4. Woodbridge: Setter Scott Liljestrom (Princeton)
will lead the senior-laden Warriors.
5. San Clemente
6. Laguna Beach;
7. Mater Dei
8. Fountain Valley
9. Foothill
10. Huntington Beach
Other teams to watch
Tesoro, Mission Viejo, Orange Lutheran, Capistrano
Valley, Edison, Esperanza, Los Alamitos
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