Harvard-Westlake Spurred by Quick Playoff Exit

STUDIO CITY â€”  The Circle Drill is in full swing at a Harvard-Westlake practice.

Members of the boys’ volleyball team move counterclockwise inside the gym, changing to a different high-impact exercise every 30 seconds.

They side-step, bound and jump up against a wall, all to improve fast-twitch muscle fibers. For 15 minutes, they are in almost constant motion.

“This is definitely the hardest-working volleyball team I’ve been on,� said Rick Rauth, a senior swing hitter. Rauth and his teammates are inspired by a memory: Dos Pueblos 3, Harvard-Westlake 2.

That was the score of the Wolverines’ first--and last--match in the 1995 Southern Section Division I playoffs.

A quick exit. A long off-season.

“Bowing out in the first round was unacceptable,� said Rauth, who also recalls that his team blew a two-game lead. “Other teams know that Harvard-Westlake shouldn’t lose in the first round. It was a serious wake-up call.�

Five starters return for the Wolverines, who finished second in the Mission League to Loyola, the reigning Division I champion.

Coach Jess Quiroz isn’t preaching revenge--�I don’t want them to look back,� he said of his players--and with a powerful lineup the Wolverines should be looking forward to a strong season.

Rauth, who is 6 feet 4, 6-5 Trevor Julian and 5-10 Jason Morrow were All-Mission League last season.

Rauth and Julian supply hitting power, while Morrow supplies balance and flow as the Wolverines’ setter.

Middle blockers Tom Dowd (6-4) and Warren Berky (6-2) return, as does outside hitter Jimmy Ostridge (6-1).

Quiroz knows what makes a championship team. Last fall, he guided the Harvard-Westlake girls’ team to state Division III and Southern Section Division II titles.

He’s getting a similar feeling from the boys’ squad.

“Their heart, they really want it,� Quiroz said.

And the players want it for Quiroz.

“That’s just a little added pressure that we put on ourselves,� Morrow said. “We’ve said to him, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to coach two championship teams?’

“Knowing we have the same group of guys, if we play well we should be able to play with anybody.�

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH:

Tim Nelson, a 6-4 middle blocker, and Darin Bell, a 5-11 outside hitter, give Alemany, which probably will start six seniors, a longshot’s chance at beating out Harvard-Westlake in the Mission League. . . . Crespi has an intriguing combination with first-year Coach Alvin Lamarre, who found success at Brentwood, and Ryan Hill, a 6-5 junior middle blocker. . . . Bro’ Richmond, a 6-3 outside hitter, and setter Mike Kent make Notre Dame a contender.

Royal, winner of five consecutive Marmonte League championships, had three top players graduate, but 6-4 middle blocker Joe Olsen, 6-5 outside hitter Marc Chaffee and 6-3 setter John Baxter form an outstanding new trio. . . . Thousand Oaks has the best chance of ending Royal’s streak of league titles. Seniors Scott Sheridan, a 6-8 middle blocker, Ricky Furino, a 6-1 middle blocker, and David Grimm, a 6-3 opposite hitter, are key players for the Lancers. . . . Christmas Valoaga, a 6-6 middle blocker, and Junior Mosones, a 6-2 setter, are returning All-Marmonte League selections for Channel Islands.

Ryan Millar has moved on to Brigham Young, but Highland should remain formidable in the newly aligned Golden League. Tom Haight, a 6-4 junior, last season was a dominant player at the junior varsity level. Brandon Kimball, Mike Phillips and Sean Crosier, all seniors, provide leadership for the Bulldogs.

The Foothill League is fielding volleyball for the first time and Canyon should be its first champion. Steve Snow, a 6-2 outside hitter, Ryan Ferginson, a 6-3 outside hitter, and 6-0 setter Jeff Waller are the top players for Coach Spencer MacCuish.

Defending Alpha League champion Village Christian advanced to the Division III title match last season, but All-Southern Section choice Kiko Banos is the only key returning player for first-year Coach Greg Freese. . . . Dylan Herrick, a 6-4 opposite hitter, last season led Campbell Hall to the Division III semifinals. He should get help this year from John Rosenberg, a 6-5 outside hitter, and setter Tim Nollan.

Expect Granada Hills and Chatsworth to be threats in the City 4-A Division playoffs. Granada Hills is led by Don Puathasnanon, a 6-3 outside hitter, and Mike Ripberger, a 6-1 outside hitter. Chatsworth is paced by juniors Chris Wilson, Stephen Wiessner and Omer Samiri. . . . Kennedy last season advanced to the City 4-A semifinals, its best showing ever. The loss of several talented players to graduation hurts, but sophomore Jeff Toon, a 6-5 middle blocker, is back.

All-City choice Eugene Kwong returns for Van Nuys, which last season reached the 3-A semifinals.