HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS DIGEST : AN EARLY GLANCE AT TOP TEAMS AND PLAYERS : Volleyball : Chatsworth Takes Root at the Top

In a year marked by the debut of a number of new programs, the theme of Valley-area volleyball remains the same in 1987: Try to keep up with Chatsworth.

Chaminade, St. Genevieve, and Bell-Jeff have all formed teams and will compete in the six-team Santa Fe League with Harvard, Cathedral and La Salle. Crespi, Alemany and Notre Dame will play a complete schedule as independent teams.

“We’ve wanted to have it for a number of years,” Crespi Athletic Director Paul Muff said. “A lot of the junior highs that are our feeder schools are playing volleyball and we’re happy we can offer them a chance to play in high school.”

Said Granada Hills Coach Tom Harp: “Volleyball is getting bigger and becoming more popular at all levels. Everything is really picking up in the Valley, but most of us are just trying to catch up with Chatsworth.”

Steve Berk, who begins his 13th year as the Chatsworth coach, led the Chancellors to their seventh straight West Valley League title last year. Chatsworth has four players back from that team which finished second to Palisades for the City title.

The Chancellors, who won City titles in 1981 and 1984, have already beaten perennial power University this season. John Ross, a 6-4 junior, and Steve Michalski, a 6-2 senior, are the team’s top hitters. Matt Auer and Warren Chen, both seniors, are the setters and junior Jeff Horn and Larry Fernandez play the back row.

The key for Chatsworth, however, will be how quickly all-league hitter Mark Root can recover from a broken foot. Root, 6-4, had his cast removed earlier this week and is not expected back until after Easter.

Notes

Min Chung is the only player who returns for Granada Hills, which was 17-0 and won the City 3-A championship last year. Still, the Highlanders seem to be the class of the Mid-Valley League. Granada Hills will be led by senior outside hitter Terry Schrumpf and senior middle hitter Eric Dumas. Scott Nakada and Han Seung will attempt to fill the void left by the graduated Mark Shalauta, last year’s City Player of the Year. . . . Coley Kyman, a 6-4 middle blocker, was all-league last season for Reseda and he is expected to help the Regents challenge Granada Hills. Reseda Coach Bob Berrenson lost only two players from last year’s team and has a tall lineup that averages 6-2. Mike Marzahl (6-4), Andre Lim (5-11) and Tibor Kalman (6-1) were second team all-league last year. . . . Harvard, which won the Ocean League in the Southern Section 4-A Division last season, has been moved into--and has thus become the overwhelming favorite in--the 3-A Santa Fe League. Harvard is led by middle blockers Mike Lowe and Peter Andersons, a pair of 6-3 all-league seniors. . . . The biggest challenge to Harvard may come from Chaminade. The Eagles are coached by Mike Lynn, who runs the successful girls program at the school. Chaminade is led by Brian Altman, a 5-11 senior setter.