Lightning face rebuilding

Rick Devereux

The deep playoff run by the Sage Hill School boys volleyball team

last year was no fluke. The Lightning finished 18-2, were

co-champions of the Academy League and advanced to the semifinals of

the CIF Southern Section Division V tournament before losing in four

games to division runner-up Pasadena Poly.

Last year’s squad featured seven players who captured all-league

recognition, including first-team All-CIF outside hitter Kevin Joyce,

who moved on to USC.

The foundation had been set for a formidable volleyball program.

The problem for Sage Hill, however, is that one player --

second-team all-league honoree Jake Lazare -- returns this year.

Everyone else graduated.

In fact, three of the 11 players on the varsity squad have never

played volleyball before and two others are freshmen. The remaining

five have been summoned from last year’s junior varsity squad.

“We’re starting simple,” fifth-year Coach Merja Connolly-Freund

said. “I’m looking for guys to be in the right position on serve

receive and on defense. I’m also looking for leadership.”

Connolly-Freund said Lazare, a junior outside hitter, has provided

guidance to the young and inexperience team.

She was impressed with what Lazare brought to the match in the

Lightning’s first contest of the season, a five-game setback at the

hands of JSerra Tuesday.

“I saw great leadership from Jake,” Connolly-Fruend said. “He is

our captain and he did a great job [in the opener].”

The setter will be freshman Carl Hillgren, and Connolly-Freund

said she likes how he plays the game.

“I’m looking for the team to show me where it’s at, who wants to

play and who’s competitive,” she said. “I saw a lot of heart from

Hillgren [Tuesday].”

The other freshman has big shoes to fill but has done well so far

in his first year at Sage.

Jamie McGee, the younger brother of Joyce, led the varsity

football team to the playoffs for the first time as the team’s

quarterback and helped the basketball team enter the postseason as

the second-leading scorer. Now, he is competing for the left outside

hitter position, the same spot his brother occupied with the

Lightning.

“Jamie is an all-star athlete,” Connolly-Freund said. “I think our

team is young but full of potential. We have freshmen who will only

get stronger and better with the experience they get playing.”

Stephen Hancock is expected to also see action as an outside

hitter and possibly at middle blocker. The senior finished the JSerra

match at outside hitter.

“It’s going to be hard to not have him on the court,”

Connolly-Freund said. “He brings maturity and a lot of physical

strength. I think, right now, we will keep him at outside hitter.”

Hancock is one five players that competed on the junior varsity

last spring.

Will Rogan, a junior who played with Hancock on JV a year ago,

will also push for time at outside hitter.

Junior Shayne Sanders, also up from the JV, is expected to be the

main defensive specialist for the Lightning.

“[Sanders] will be one of our top passers and defensive players,”

Connolly-Freund said. “He’s stepping it up and sets a good work ethic

in practice. He will be a good silent leader for the team by showing

the kids how to work hard.”

And despite never playing volleyball before, Mike Morgan, Shane

Webster and Will Fletcher are expected to contribute.

“Morgan is a 6-foot-4 junior who is very coachable,”

Connolly-Freund said. “He will be a great middle blocker for us. He

did really well in his first match [against JSerra] where he had two

blocks. As he learns the transition game and how to move as a middle

blocker along the net and off the net, he will be force for us.”

There is a possibility current junior varsity players will get a

chance to showcase their talents on the next level this season, with

former soccer player Robert Gadbois rising quickly in the ranks.

But the expectations this year are quite different than the last

year’s senior-laden squad.

“I’d like to take it one game at a time and focus on improvement,”

Connolly-Freund said. “It would be great to finish in the top three

in league, have a record over .500 and make it to playoffs.”

Sage Hill fell to 0-2 Friday.