Boys volleyball: Presenting the Daily Pilot’s 2002 high school boys

volleyball: Dream Team

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Newport Harbor High seniors Greg Perrine and Loyd

Wright are friends, classmates, boys volleyball teammates, fellow Orange

County All-Stars, All-CIF honorees and equal parts Sea View League Most

Valuable Player. So, it seems only fitting they share Player of the Year

honors on the Daily Pilot’s All-Newport-Mesa Dream Team.

“I don’t know how you could pick one over the other,” said Sailors

Coach Dan Glenn, who took comfort in entrusting much of his team’s

fortunes to the talented twosome.

Perrine and Wright, who helped lead the Sailors to the top ranking in

Orange County, the Sea View crown and a berth in the CIF Southern Section

Division II quarterfinals, are also the lone repeat honorees on this

year’s eight-player Dream Team.

Joining them are Newport standouts Brian Gaeta, Erik Peterson and

Jamie Diefenbach, Corona del Mar High seniors Ryan Inman and Spencer

Miller, as well as Costa Mesa senior Carlos Jaime.

Perrine, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, was a powerful attacker for a

Harbor squad with myriad weapons. The Sea View League Male Athlete of the

Year put his athleticism on display every time he approached the net.

This blend of talent and competitive desire helped him play much bigger

than his relatively modest size.

Perrine, also a steady passer and, at times, a devastating jump

server, earned MVP honors in helping the Tars win the Orange County

Championships for a second straight spring. He was second-team All-CIF in

Division II.

His volleyball prowess was even more remarkable, considering he came

off a sterling basketball campaign that began with him on the sidelines,

recovering from reconstructive ACL surgery performed during the summer.

He will play basketball at Chapman University.

Wright, the architect of the Sailors’ offense, matured into a

sure-handed quarterback in his second season as the full-time starter.

Able to turn imperfect passes into prime sets, he also showed superior

decision making, all the while keeping his talented hitting corps happy

by distributing generously. A second-team All-CIF Division II selection,

he will continue his volleyball career on the University of Arizona club

team.

Gaeta, a senior outside hitter, threw his muscular 6-3 frame into the

kill zone with ferocity Glenn said was typical of the football standout

that he is. An All-CIF receiver, who will play college football at

Colorado State, Gaeta’s ability to compete was valued as much by Glenn as

his ample skill set.

“He plays volleyball like a football player,” said Glenn, who was sure

the comment was not misconstrued as anything but a compliment.

A four-year varsity volleyball player who began his prep career at

Edison High, Gaeta came full circle, closing out his volleyball

experience in the Chargers’ Dave Mohs Gymnasium at the recent Orange

County All-Star match. He was a first-team All-Sea View performer.

Peterson, a 6-3 senior middle blocker and opposite, assumed the steady

role he occupied as a two-year varsity basketball starter on the

volleyball court. Yet another gifted athlete in the Sailors’ stable, he

was productive at the net as a hitter and blocker, while also

contributing as a valuable passer.

A first-team all-league performer, he’ll take his 4.2 GPA off to USC.

Inman, whose season began slowly due to a severe ankle injury that

sidelined him for most of his senior basketball campaign, was clearly one

of the Sea Kings’ go-to hitters down the stretch.

The 6-4 middle blocker almost single-handedly rescued CdM from a

first-round loss, after the Sea Kings lost two of the first three games

to host Ocean View.

His strong playoff performance helped him earn first-team All-CIF

Division IV recognition, after being passed over for All-Pacific Coast

League honors. He plans to give volleyball a try at the University of San

Diego.

Miller, a 6-0 setter who finally got his turn after learning from

former CdM trigger men Kevin Hansen (Stanford) and Evan Burden (USC),

made the most of his chance, according to Coach Steve Conti.

Miller’s consistency allowed the Sea Kings to utilize the middle with

great effectiveness. A team captains, he earned first-team All-PCL and

third-team All-CIF Division IV honors. He takes a 4.2 GPA off to UC

Berkeley.

Diefenbach, a 6-8 sophomore who has already earned four varsity

letters in basketball and volleyball, could become dominant at the net if

he continues to progress. Still learning the game and improving his

mobility, he became a valued hitting weapon down the stretch. He was also

no fun for opposing hitters to deal with as a blocker.

Imminently coachable, his strong work ethic could make him the best

big man Glenn has had in his already 16 seasons at the helm. Diefenbach

earned second-team All-Sea View laurels.

Jaime, a springy 6-0 senior, helped Coach Dave Sorrells’ Mustangs earn

an at-large CIF playoff berth, despite being overshadowed in the rugged

PCL.

A second-team All-PCL performer, Jaime earned praise from Sorrells, as

well as Conti.

“He was pretty good against us,” Conti said.

Said Sorrells, “He was our kill leader the second half of the season

and his defense really improved. I moved him from outside hitter to

middle after a few league matches and he started playing even better. And

about 55% of his serves resulted in points, so he was our best server by

far.”

Jaime, who also played basketball at Mesa, will attend OCC. He is

unsure whether he will continue playing volleyball.