Boys volleyball: Dream Team
Barry Faulkner
Convened for a group photograph recently, members of the Daily
Pilot’s All-Newport-Mesa boys volleyball Dream Team, drawn equally from
Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor high schools, did not revert to
provincial pride.
Instead, the eight players renewed ongoing friendships, talked about
their club teams -- upon which most had played or are still playing side
by side -- and joked with one another as seamlessly as brothers.
Throw a net between them, of course, and an abrupt change would occur, as
it did the four times CdM and Harbor squared off this spring. That final
meeting, May 27 at Cypress College, decided the CIF Southern Section
Division I champion, as CdM prevailed in a five-game struggle.
But for the efforts of senior setter Kevin Hansen, that CIF championship
plaque may have found its way to the other side of the Back Bay.
A two-time All-CIF performer, whose soft hands, hard work and pliable
talents helped the Sea Kings win their final 20 matches, the 6-foot-4
future Stanford Cardinal is the Player of the Year.
Joining Hansen, who also collected CIF Division I MVP honors and was the
Co-Player of the Year on the all-district basketball team as a senior, as
repeat a repeat selection is senior CdM teammate Greg Stampley.
Seniors Alec Hanson and Chris Shepherdson also represent the Sea Kings on
the all-district squad.
Bringing Newport Harbor blue to the team picture are seniors Billy
Clayton, Kent Turner and Dustin Illingworth, as well as junior Blake
Tippett.
Coach of the Year honors are shared by CdM’s Steve Conti and Newport
Harbor’s Dan Glenn.
Stampley, a first-team All-CIF performer who shared Pacific Coast League
MVP with Hansen, has been termed the most complete outside hitter in
Orange County by his coach.
A powerful hitter at 6-4, he also is a superb passer and capable blocker,
allowing him to have a major impact in the front or back row. He plans to
walk on at USC.
Clayton, another first-team All-CIF choice, will join Hansen at Stanford,
for which he will lend supreme athleticism, competitiveness and
burgeoning skills.
A varsity starter less than two seasons and one of only two returners who
played extensively on last year’s CIF Division I champions, Clayton’s
best volleyball, all agree, is ahead of him. But, displaying a sense of
urgency as apparent as his talent, Clayton bombed away from the front row
and the back row, leading his team in kills, as well as to the end of a
playoff road strewn with upset victims.
Turner, a second-team All-CIF pick, spent his first two seasons at CdM,
watching mostly from the sideline as a sophomore, when the Sea Kings won
the CIF Division III crown.
He was a role player as a junior and planned to be an outside hitter this
season. But an injury opened a hole at setter and Turner stepped forth to
trigger the offense effectively. He also chipped in with his block and
was among the most dangerous servers around, arcing jump serves just over
the net for frequent aces and service winners. He will attend USC, but
his volleyball days are likely over.
Hanson, who arrived late after helping the basketball team extend its
season into the state playoffs (earning all-district recognition in the
process), promptly sprained an ankle and missed and extended period.
His return, however, helped solidify the Sea Kings, who won the PCL
title. He pulled an abdominal muscle during the playoff run, but played
through the pain to add valuable hitting and passing skills. Hanson, who
plans to play for the club team at Cal, was a third-team All-CIF pick.
Illingworth, who sat out his junior volleyball season, was re-recuited by
Glenn this spring. By the end of the season, it was apparent why Glenn
worked so hard to sell this District Co-MVP in basketball, who will play
hoops at UC San Diego, on volleyball.
A high-flying 6-foot-4 middle blocker, Illingworth improved by leaps and
bounds, eventually becoming a potent weapon at the net.
Tippett, the lone junior on the all-district squad, earned respect from
his teammates and his coaches for his all-around abilities.
Though seldom posting eye-popping kill numbers, this 6-3 outside hitter
contributed in all the ways volleyball insiders appreciate -- namely ball
control.
Shepherdson, a 5-10 outside hitter, also made more of an impact from the
back row, where his passing skills made CdM one of the most frustrating
teams for opposing hitters to play against.
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