Spiking fortune 500

No one in attendance at the Sea View League boys’ volleyball match between Huntington Beach and Woodbridge knew that Rocky Ciarelli had an opportunity to reach a major milestone in his Oilers’ coaching career.

His players, it turned out, would be the first to find out.

As he had his team in a huddle following a sweep of Woodbridge on Friday, he shook the hand of each player and said, “thank you,” then revealed to them that this 25-21, 25-14, 26-24 victory was no ordinary triumph — it was career win No. 500 at Huntington Beach.

“It just shows I’ve been around a long time,” Ciarelli, 50, said before chuckling. “Actually, it’s a pretty neat thing to accomplish.”

A “spring celebration” was held the day of the game, which was the last match the Oilers would play until resuming league action on April 12 against Foothill. It was also Ciarelli’s last time in the gym before heading off for spring break. For Ciarelli, it’s always been about family.

He achieved his 300th win as Oilers boys’ head coach after a victory over Newport Harbor in mid-march. Friday’s win over Woodbridge was his 306th with the boys’ program, which he took over in 1985.

Ciarelli also coached the girls’ team — a stint that ended with the 2005-06 season — and racked up 194 victories. He co-coached the girls’ team with his wife, Cami, from 1992-2001 (with the exception of the 1999 season), and alone for just the 1987 season.

Combined, that’s 500 victories at his alma mater.

“What’s great about this program is that it’s all about Huntington Beach kids,” he said. “The kids who come into this program live in this city and have helped make this program what it is. We’ve had some great kids come through this program. It’s like a little community with this program. We’re very fortunate.”

Ciarelli was a big part of the start of boys’ volleyball at Huntington Beach High. He was a member of the school’s first boys’ team in 1973 and also played his senior year in 1974. The Oilers won their first league championship in ‘74, a season in which he was All-CIF second-team and third-team all-Southern California.

From there, he went on to play two years at Long Beach City College and the Vikings won the state title in his second year. Following a redshirt season in 1977 he played two years at Long Beach State, then became an assistant coach for the 49ers in 1980. He first got into high school coaching when he coached Huntington Beach junior varsity in 1981. His first head varsity coaching job was with Edison where he coached for three years through 1984.

Since taking over the Oilers varsity program in 1985, his teams have won 10 Sunset League championships, two CIF-Southern Section crowns (’93 and ‘94) and finished runner-up in 1992.

With the girls’ his teams won three league titles, went to the CIF state finals in 1994 and won both CIF and state championships in 1996.

He began to give credit to his wife, Cami, for having a hand in some of those 500 victories, but she cut him at the quick.

“He deserves all the credit,” she said.

Throughout his tenure, he’s coached not only his own children, daughter Felicia, 18, and currently, son Tony, 16, but also several nieces, nephews and cousins. Among them, Nick Ziegler was All-CIF in 1993 and the CIF player of the year in 1994, Keely Ziegler was an all-league player, Allison Ciarelli was All-CIF and the state player of the year in 1996, Dennis Masuda was All-CIF in 1997, Katelyn Ciarelli was all-league and Kellyn Masuda also played for Ciarelli for two years.

Felicia Ciarelli was a two-time All-CIF player. Tony Ciarelli, a junior and a floor leader for the Oilers this year, was a second-team all-league pick last year as a sophomore.

It’s a common sight to find several members of the Ciarelli family attend Huntington Beach home games, including his parents and mother-in-law.

“It really is a family affair here,” Rocky Ciarelli said. “My mom and dad went to this school, I went here and it continued on down the line. We really have strong ties to the community.”

Tony Ciarelli, a 6-foot-6 outside hitter who came up with a match-best 19 kills in the win over Woodbridge that gave his dad victory No. 500, has a distinct memory of playing “pepper” on the beach during the summer, learning the game of volleyball, with his dad and sister since “I was 5 years old.”

“Playing for my dad can be hard sometimes,” Tony Ciarelli said while shooting a smirk and a glance toward his father as he walked by on the court, “but he’s been around volleyball for a long time and he knows just about everything there is to know about this game.

“He’s been around Huntington for a long, long time and everybody knows him and our family. ... What’s he’s accomplished is great. He’s put a lot into this and deserves all of it. He’s a great coach.”

When Tony Ciarelli ends his Oilers career at the end of the 2008 season, Rocky Ciarelli said he’ll retire from coaching.

“That will be the right time,” he said.