Combining a blend of athleticism, experience and talent, the Los Gatos High School boys volleyball team made program history this season.
The Wildcats won a Central Coast Section Open Division match and a CIF NorCal State contest, both program firsts. Their season ended in the CIF NorCal semifinals after a three-game loss to top-seed Buchanan on May 22.
The defeat did little to dampen what Los Gatos accomplished this season, including a final record of 20-12 and second-place finish in the ultra-competitive Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division.
“I’m so proud of everything the team was able to accomplish this year,” Wildcats coach Nicole Ciari said. “Hopefully, we’ll get everyone back and be in a position where we’ll be able to run it back again next season.”
Ciari said the returning players off last year’s team set the foundation and proved to be the springboard for this season’s history-making run.
“The sophomores from last year got experience of the pace of the game and the type of competition that we would see this year,” said Ciari, who also coaches the LGHS girls volleyball squad. “Them having that comfortability going against hard teams really made the difference, along with filling in the gaps with the seniors. That was the perfect combination that made us so successful this year.”
Los Gatos pulled off one of the seminal upsets in the CCS this season, stunning top-seed Santa Cruz in the Open Division quarterfinals. Santa Cruz entered the match with a 30-3 record and was widely considered among the top three teams in the CCS.
“I think it helped that we didn’t know a ton about them,” Ciari said. “We hadn’t seen them play live, our kids don’t play club with a lot of their kids and I think that played in our favor. We really focused on the task at hand and had something going that night. Our bench was involved, everyone was engaged and the people on the court played their role and did what they were supposed to do.”
Boasting athleticism, talent and height, Los Gatos improved as the season went along, capped by a four-set win over De Anza Division champion Harker on May 5. The Wildcats lost to Harker in the teams’ first two league matchups, but finally upended their league rival the third time around.
Junior outside hitter Sean Slover was a tour de force against Harker and finished the season as the team leader in kills. Nolan Harr, a 6-foot-4 junior right side, was second on the team in kills and potent on the attack, too.
Middle blockers Markus McGrath and Nico Bianchi—both 6-3—along with the 6-2 Slover and 6-1 Weston Kaefer made life tough on opposing offenses.
“Our whole front was extremely tall, and when you put those kids blocking together, it’s like a wall in front of you,” Ciari said. “They were very good defensively.”
McGrath led the team in blocks and teams often set the opposite side from where he was positioned.
“Markus is one of the smartest players I’ve had the pleasure of coaching,” Ciari said. “He’s good at knowing where other teams put the ball and definitely gets in a position to defend well.”
The Wildcats had a dynamic setter in junior Reily Nguyen, whose volleyball IQ and decision-making made the team go.
“We have to give Reily a lot of credit,” Ciari said. “He did a great job of distributing the ball to everybody and our offense is only as good as the setter running it.”
Senior libero Will Enneking—whose main sport is soccer—emerged as one of the more underrated players in the SCVAL this season.
“Will plays soccer full time but tried out volleyball in his freshman year and loved it,” Ciari said. “He’s our dig leader, covers a lot of ground and isn’t afraid when heavy-hitting balls are coming right at him.”
Ciari is particularly excited for the growth of the boys volleyball game, noting the increase in club participation. Approximately 10 of the 15 players off this year’s LGHS team compete for a club program, so perhaps it’s little wonder the Wildcats made program history this season.
“I think the boys’ game is growing ever so fast right now,” she said. “It’s nice to see we’re keeping up as this sport gains in popularity. It’s really made my experience as a coach enjoyable.”
Ciari is starting to see boys start playing volleyball at a competitive level at an earlier age, mimicking the girls game.
“Girls start the sport at 8, 9 or 10, and they’re living and breathing volleyball by the time they get to high school,” Ciari said. “Many boys don’t start playing volleyball until much later, so a lot of times you’re getting athletes and teaching them and watching them grow so quickly is really incredible. They pick up things so fast, especially in the way they understand the game. The fast pace of the game is really fun to watch.”
