Mike SciaccaLike most high school coaches do...

Mike Sciacca

Like most high school coaches do at this point in time, Laguna

Beach’s Curt Hanson is approaching the 2003 boys’ prep volleyball

season with a reserved optimism.

For one thing, he is in his first full year as coach of the boys’

varsity program, having spent the past four as a Laguna assistant.

He has a solid nucleus returning -- and it’s one that could help

make the transition from assistant to head coach a smooth one.

“I think we’ll be OK,” Hanson said. “We have some talent coming

back and some other players who gained experience last year.

“On the whole we should be pretty strong. You just never know,

though, how your team will come together until you get out on that

court.”

With the first full week of practice ending today, Laguna is

bracing for its March 4 season opener at Edison.

The Breakers are coming off a 13-8 season that included a second

place finish in the Pacific Coast League and a CIF quarterfinal

appearance.

A core group of returners includes senior outside hitter Matt

Anderson.

The 6-foot-4 Anderson earned first-team All-PCL and All-CIF honors

last spring and is considered the Pacific Coast League’s strongest

hitter.

“Having Matt back definitely is a big benefit,” Hanson said. “He’s

very athletic, passes well, plays good defensively and is probably

our best skill player.

“He’s our terminator, and other teams know who he is.”

Nick Aronoff was Laguna’s defensive specialist and youngest

varsity player last year as a junior, but the senior will play setter

this year.

Aronoff, the league’s tallest setter, plays club volleyball in the

off-season. He played on a local 17’s team that competed at the 2002

Junior Olympics and was part of a silver medal-winning 16’s team at

the 2001 Junior Olympics.

Laguna’s strong lineup also features junior middle blocker/outside

hitter Trey Chapel, senior middle blocker Mike Chiaverini and senior

outside hitter Nick Glavas.

A pair of sophomores, both up from last year’s junior varsity

squad, also figure into the mix: Luke Morris’ part is that of

defensive specialist and Talan Torriero, of whom Hanson says “could

make a big impact,” will play middle blocker.

Laguna, which played in Division V the past two years, is

competing in Division II level this year.

The upcoming season marks the 30th year of the CIF Southern

Section playoffs. One distinction that Laguna’s program holds is that

it is the only school to have played in all previous 29 postseason

playoffs.

The Breakers’ talent will be put to the test by a very formidable

schedule.

Among their four nonleague matches are games on the road at

Division I schools Edison, Huntington Beach, Capistrano Valley and

San Clemente.

They also play in three of the southland’s major tournaments: the

32-team, San Diego Tournament of Champions hosted by Francis Parker

High; the 16-team Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara and the

Redondo Union Tournament -- the section’s oldest-running volleyball

tournament which began in 1970 -- which Laguna won a few years ago.

The Pacific Coast League schedule begins with an April 2 home date

with rival Corona del Mar.

Laguna last won the Pacific Coast League’s boys’ volleyball title

in 1998.

“It’s definitely one tough schedule that is very challenging,”

Hanson said. “With three big tournaments and four away nonleague

games on top of that, we’re not shying away from anybody.

“My immediate goal is to qualify for CIF. We need to stay healthy

and eligible in order to be a strong team. Like I said, you never

know what’s going to happen until you get out on the court.”