In state bid, Sierra Vista volleyball relies on elder statesmen
Some teams aren’t fully comfortable playing together, even toward the end of the season. That’s not the case for Sierra Vista’s boys volleyball team.
The Mountain Lions (12-12) feature five seniors that began playing together on the freshman team, and they hope the bond they’ve developed over the years gives them an edge when they host Desert Pines (11-14) in a Division I-A state quarterfinal at 6 p.m. Monday.
“Last year we were outed in the very first round, so being able to have the home court the first round and potentially being one of the contenders is a very nice feeling,” senior setter Brendan Cowden said. “It’s very good for us. I’ve been playing with some of these boys since my freshman year. We’re the core group, and we’re hoping to make it as far as Wednesday and beyond that.”
The I-A semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday at Chaparral, with the championship match set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, also at Chaparral. The Division I tournament begins Tuesday with semifinal matches at Legacy.
The Mountain Lions went 8-2 in the Sunset League this year and dropped just two sets in the eight victories.
“Last year, we weren’t really prolific as a team,” senior middle blocker Joey Harvanek said. “We were kind of sub-.500, really at par with where we needed to be. I feel like this year, we’ve really capitalized on our team and our talent. Whether it’s Chris McCoy at (opposite hitter), one of the biggest hitters we’ve had in a while, or it’s all our other veteran players.”
Cowden, Harvanek, outside hitter Nikolas Fava, libero Matthew Marick and opposite hitter Jordan Kirtley provide an experienced senior group that is hoping to go out on top.
“These guys have been together. They know what it takes,” Sierra Vista coach Camille McComas said. “I think they’ve done a 180 from last year’s effort and commitment to this year’s effort and commitment. It’s just kind of that senior push that makes it so enjoyable and worthwhile.”
Sierra Vista played in three tournaments this season, facing many of the area’s top Division I teams as well as teams from out of state. Fava said he thinks that has helped the Mountain Lions prepare for the postseason.
“All it is is practice,” Fava said of playing tough opponents. “And you don’t get better playing teams worse than you. You only get better playing people better than you. You get to equalize your skills, you get to capitalize on the opportunities you’ve been given. I love playing better teams, because all it does is make us better as a group and individually.”
Mojave (30-5) has won the last three Division I-A championships, and is the clear favorite. The Rattlers had a pair of 3-0 victories over Sierra Vista in Sunset League play this season. Still, Fava doesn’t think his team should be counted out.
“Everything we’ve done has come down to this moment,” Fava said.”We’ve had these opportunities, and we’ve been able to open these doors and been able to delineate our own destiny into this season. And we can do whatever we want. We have three days left to go in and show them what we’re all about.”
Contact prep sports editor Damon Seiters at 702-380-4587 or dseiters@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DamonSeiters
