Mustangs still behind on the learning curve

Barry Faulkner

Coach Dave Sorrells looks at the caterpillar that is his

inexperienced Costa Mesa High boys volleyball team and sees a

butterfly. But, he acknowledged after Monday’s 15-5, 15-9, 15-13

nonleague loss at Santiago, it will take a while for this group to

earn its wings.

“We’re so close to being so much better than we are,” said

Sorrells, whose Mustangs open their first Golden West League season

Wednesday at Ocean View.

And while the Mustangs (1-3), with virtually no players with

varsity experience from last year’s 10-11 campaign that ended in the

CIF Southern Section Playoffs, are learning, the lessons, at times,

can be overwhelming.

“The hardest thing to learn is how to play hard in a competitive

situation,” Sorrells said. “But when you’ve got so many inexperienced

guys, the challenge can be staying focused on what it takes to play

hard.”

Against the Cavaliers (3-1), one could almost hear the gears

grinding from the Mesa side of the net, as players balanced the flow

of the match with their fledgling grasp of individual fundamentals.

But Sorrells believes the kind of work ethic his players showed at

practice Thursday and Friday will eventually allow them to react,

instead of think, on the court.

“Kids want instant gratification, so they want to win now,”

Sorrells said. “They might not see that by getting better tomorrow,

they will eventually be good enough to win.”

And though characteristically upbeat, Sorrells is not immune to

the frustration that came with Monday’s defeat.

“When it’s all said and done, we don’t have a single person who is

stepping up to pass the serve, let alone two or three guys,” he said.

“Our service receive was a big factor last year in us being so

competitive, despite not having much size.”

Sorrells was also critical of his hitters’ lack of aggressiveness.

On the positive side, 6-foot-2 sophomore middle blocker Garret

Walthers had a team-leading eight kills and also managed the

Mustangs’ only two stuff blocks. Gabriel Gonzalez, a 6-3 sophomore

middle blocker, added seven kills, while freshman Ryan Bagwell

chipped in six kills. Bagwell’s serving was also a plus for the

visitors. He finished with one ace and two service winners.

Senior setter John Santos had 25 assists for the Mustangs.

Senior Danny Krikorian, a late addition from the basketball team,

had two kills off the bench in his season debut, while senior Rocky

Nguyen (three kills) added a spark off the bench in the third game.

The Mustangs erased a 4-0 third-game deficit by scoring six

straight points and led, 13-8, before Santiago rallied to close out

the match.

The Cavaliers, who finished third in the Garden Grove League last

year, were led by a pair of seniors. Anthony Casillas, a 6-3 middle

blocker, had a match-high 20 kills and added two stuff blocks. Heiu

Pham, a high flying 5-7 hitter, pitched in 12 kills, two stuff blocks

and two aces.

Santiago scored the first four points and led throughout the first

game, then erased Mesa leads of 2-0 and 3-2 to take control in the

second game.