Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Ryan Inman

Barry Faulkner

The push-up exercise, dispensed as punishment at Corona del Mar

High boys volleyball practices, has been both a staple and a symbol for

senior Ryan Inman’s varsity career.

One might say the phrase up and down comes to the fore for this

6-foot-4 middle blocker, whose late-season upswing as a hitting weapon

helped the Sea Kings advance to Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division IV

quarterfinals.

Inman’s penchant for perfection has been the primary cause of the

punitive push-ups, which have been assigned with the hope of curtailing

his on-court demonstrations of frustration.

“I’ve had to work on it,” Inman said of his demeanor on the court,

which has improved enough for him to assume a leadership role for the Sea

Kings this season. “It has taken a lot of push-ups for me to realize I

can’t hang my head. Now, I believe I can’t have a bad bad game or hang my

head, or do some of the things I’ve done in the past. I’ve try to always

stay positive.”

Inman has been positively productive during the Sea Kings postseason

run, which began with a five-game first-round triumph at No. 3-seeded

Ocean View May 10.

After posting six kills in a 15-6 first-game win, Inman had just one

kill in each of the next two games, both won by Ocean View to push the

Sea Kings to the verge of elimination.

When Ocean View claimed an 8-4 fourth-game lead, CdM Coach Steve Conti

said there was a definite need for someone to step up. Inman gladly

filled the bill.

“We called a timeout when we were behind and I looked up at the

scoreboard and thought to myself, ‘This could be my senior year right

here,’ ” Inman said. “I told (senior setter Spencer Miller) to set me the

ball. It was almost like being a little greedy, because I didn’t want to

let my senior year go.”

In this case, greed was good for the Sea Kings, as Inman pounded eight

fourth-game kills, including one for a point to put CdM ahead, 15-14, en

route to a 16-14 win. The Sea Kings then closed out the match with a 15-8

fifth-game triumph, with rally scoring in effect.

Conti was generous with post-match praise for Inman, who finished with

a match-high 18 kills and added two stuff blocks and two service winners.

The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week said he was gratified to help his

team get through a tough spot. But, true to his perfectionist label, he

was unwilling to call the match his best of the season.

“I think I was too up and down,” he said. “But it made my day to read

the paper the next day and see what Coach Conti said about my play. I

think Spencer and I were working pretty well that night, but I still

think I can easily get tons better.”

Getting healthy has also been a season-long struggle for Inman, who

missed the final 24 games of his final basketball season after tearing

three ankle ligaments in the third game.

Inman, who will attend the University of San Diego where he hopes to

play both basketball and volleyball, trudged through regular

rehabilitations sessions (between 60 and 90 minutes three or four times a

week). He gained medical clearance just three days before volleyball

practice started.

He then spent much of the early season working his way back into shape

and sharpening his volleyball skills. He still believes his ankle is not

100%, but he admits he barely thinks about it, especially when the

whistle blows before each serve.

Conti said he now tries to think up ways to get the ball to Inman in

the middle, so he can utilize his increasingly hot hand.

“It seems like every year we’ve been fortunate to have seniors step up

for us, which is a big reason why we’ve had such postseason success (five

straight trips to the division title match),” Conti said. “Ryan can be

that guy for us, but I’d like to see it on a more consistent basis.”