The Damien boys volleyball starts the season ranked first in Division 5 which shouldn’t be a surprise. The Spartans (26-7) were CIF champion a year ago and the preseason rankings are typically based off the previous season.
Coach Randy Bohlman returns four of his top seven players with the departed players being his setter and two middles.
Leading the group of returning players is outside hitter Chris Mercado, now a four-year starter who led the team in kills as a junior.
Among the other experienced players returning are senior libero Nick Hibshman, senior hitter Michael Spinney and sophomore outside hitter Daniel Enriquez.
Among the players Bohlman will be counting on are junior Brandon Nyquist, who inherits the setter job, as well as senior middle Marco Fleischman, who drew a lot of playing time last year before John Prata came back after basketball.
“We did lose a lot but we have guys back too and they got a lot of experience in big matches,” Bohlman said. “I still think we’re going to be pretty good.”
Here are the rankings in each division:
Division 1- Huntington Beach; 2. Corona del Mar; 3. Loyola; 4. Mira Costa; 5. San Clemente; 6. Westlake; 7. Servite; 8. Mater Dei; 9. Santa Barbara; 10. Dana Hills.
Division 2 – 1. Oak Park; 2. Valencia; 3. Laguna Beach; 4. Burbank Burroughs; 5. Capistrano Valley; 6. Aliso Niguel; 7. Canyon Country Canyon; 8. Royal; 9. Lakewood; 10. Camarillo.
Division 3 – 1. El Segundo; 2. Quartz Hill; 3. Paloma Valley; 4. Gahr; 5. Cathedral; 6. Arroyo Grande; 7. Warren; 8. San Gabriel; 9. Bishop Montgomery; 10. Culver City.
Division 4 – 1. Saddleback Valley Chr.; 2. St. Margaret’s; 3. Santa Ynez; 4. Flintridge Prep; 5. Garden Grove; 6. Bellflower; 7. Redlands; 8. Tustin; 9. Crean Lutheran; 10. Rio Mesa.
Division 5 – 1. Damien; 2. Arrowhead Christian; 3. Laguna Blanca; 4. Santa De; 5. Oakwood; 6. Ontario Christan; 7. El Rancho; 8. Ganesha; 9. West Covina; 10. La Serna.