Boys volleyball: Higher learning

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - The seven seniors who comprise this year’s nine-player

Costa Mesa High boys roster can credit much of their volleyball education

to Jon Carlew.

Now, Carlew, who spent the last two years away from the program while

finishing work on his own college degree, is back to offer a little

postgraduate guidance.

“I coached this group of seniors when they were in the seventh, eighth

and ninth grades,” Carlew said. “I’m their third coach in three years,

but it’s a little different, because they know what to expect from me.”

Due in no small part to the foundation of knowledge imparted by Carlew,

who oversaw the program from 1995-97, these seniors helped the last two

teams reach the CIF playoffs, ending what had been a 14-year postseason

drought.

Carlew, who also played at Costa Mesa, hopes to keep the streak alive and

there is ample talent to foster such optimism.

“We have a real good setter and two real good outside hitters,” Carlew

said. “And these guys want to win and are working hard in practice.”

Seniors Shaun Ferryman and David Van Ngo, both of whom were second-team

All-Pacific Coast League performers last spring, are the outside hitters

of whom Carlew speaks.

The aforementioned setter is 5-8 junior Calvary Chapel transfer Gary

Bogert, who started for the Eagles as a freshman, then sat out his

sophomore campaign. He triggered the Calvary attack in the 1998

second-round playoff match won by Mesa.

The 6-foot-3 Ferryman is a strong leaper in his third varsity season. He

may help to lessen the void created by the graduation of two-time All-CIF

outside hitter B.J. Lightvoet.

Van Ngo is 6-1, while the middle will be patrolled by 6-3 senior Nate

Jones and 6-0 sophomore Carlos Jaime.

Carlew likes the athleticism of both his middles.

Rick Hatsushi, a 5-10 senior who, like Ferryman and Jones, helped the

basketball team to its first playoff berth since 1992, will start opposite the setter.

Seniors Chaz Hunter, Huy Tran and Ian Nouget provide depth.

“I like our potential, but the first actual scrimmaging we did was

(Tuesday),” Carlew said. “There’s a lot of new stuff we have to learn and

we have to learn how to play together.”

The revised PCL, which adds Corona del Mar to perennial league champion

Laguna Beach, could, Carlew believes, create a three-team race for

third-place and the final guaranteed playoff berth.

But while the Mustangs defeated Laguna Beach last spring for the first

time in history, Carlew expects his squad to join University and Estancia

in the chase pack behind CdM and Laguna.

Carlew, who will enlist former Mesa player Tom Lightvoet to coach the

junior varsity and frosh-soph, also is pleased about an infusion of young

talent into the program.

“We have 30 guys and we should have two strong lower-level teams,” Carlew

said. “And we hope to get as many of them into club programs as we can.”

The varsity opened Friday at Saddleback.

Costa Mesa boys volleyball roster

(Numbers not available)

Shaun Ferryman Sr.

David Van Ngo Sr.

Rick Hatsushi Sr.

Nate Jones Sr.

Gary Bogert Jr.

Carlos Jaime So.

Chaz Hunter Sr.

Ian Nouget Sr.

Huy Tran Sr.

Coach: Jon Carlew