The Laguna Beach High boys’ volleyball team opened Orange Coast League play on Tuesday night.
Seniors Travis Woloson, Scottie Chapel and Reed Thompson didn’t bat an eyelash.
No disrespect to Godinez, but the Breakers’ ultimate satisfaction won’t be gained by beating up on league foes, like they do year after year.
The seniors’ goal this year is clear: they want two banners, one for a CIF Southern Section Division II title and one for a CIF Southern California Regional title.
“That’s our main goal — to hang two banners this year,” Woloson said.
Last year they just won the regional title after the top-seeded Breakers suffered a disappointing loss at Royal of Simi Valley in the Division II semifinals. If they’re going to win both titles this year, the outside hitter/setter Woloson, opposite Chapel and middle blocker Thompson will undoubtedly be key cogs.
Woloson and Chapel, who each stand 6 feet 5, were co-league Most Valuable Players last year. Coach Lance Stewart is just glad to have such experienced seniors at key positions.
“They punch the time clock,” Stewart said. “They’re hard-workers. They get the job done at their position. And they’re all good kids; that’s what I’m most happy about.”
Chapel’s tradition with Laguna volleyball is long-standing, dating back to when his older brothers Trey (class of 2004) and Andrew (’05) played. Trey Chapel, also an opposite, was a second-team All-CIF pick his senior year.
Scottie has been on varsity since his freshman year and, as such, he doesn’t let anything phase him.
“I got to see how Lance coached and I wasn’t surprised when I started playing,” Scottie Chapel said. “I like how he coaches sometimes. It wasn’t really a surprise when he’d yell at me; I didn’t take it personally. I just had to take the message instead of getting caught up in the emotions.”
Woloson, who has verbally committed to USC, is often Laguna’s big bopper and more often than not, the team’s emotional leader. He has shared setting duties with junior Robbie McKnight for the last couple of years, something he doesn’t have to do on the club team of all three players, Balboa Bay.
