Slater set to sign on the dotted line with Pacific

It took Ted Slater two seasons before he became the starting setter for Newport Harbor High’s boys’ volleyball team. He’s hoping it won’t take that long before he’s starting at the collegiate level.

Slater said Wednesday he has orally committed to the University of Pacific. The senior will sign a national letter of intent when the late signing period opens next Wednesday.

The Tigers are ranked No. 15 in the nation, with a 7-17 record, 5-13 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Pacific plays host to UC Irvine on Friday night.

Slater, an All-Sea View League first-team selection and Dream Team pick as a junior, will have ample opportunity to get into the Tigers’ plans. Pacific setter Mitchel Hazelett will be a senior next season and Coach Joe Wortmann has no other setters on his roster.

“I’ll be his mentee and hopefully I’ll learn a lot from him,” said Slater, who was also being recruited by UC San Diego. “I’ll get a chance to start at the collegiate level as a sophomore.”

The 6-foot-4 Slater made his varsity debut as a sophomore, earning second-team all-league honors playing middle blocker for Sailors Coach Dan Glenn. He moved to setter as a junior, leading the Sailors to the CIF Southern Section Division I quarterfinals with a 20-12 record.

This season, Newport Harbor is 14-5 and ranked No. 4 in Division I.

A member of the Sailors’ basketball team, Slater will join a relatively young Pacific roster. The Tigers have just one senior and eight of their 16 players are freshmen or sophomores.

“They have a good nucleus there,” Slater said. “They have a few other recruits coming in. We want to work hard and bring the program to the heights of UCLA. That’s just a goal for Pacific.”

According to Slater, Wortmann’s resume was a factor in his decision to pick Pacific. Wortmann is a two-time national Coach of the Year who took the Tigers from a club program to varsity status in 1992. Since then, Pacific has been a perennial top 15 program, going as high as No. 4 in the nation during the 2003 season.

Slater becomes only the second boys’ volleyball player in the Newport-Mesa area to commit to a four-year program. Corona del Mar’s Scott Slaughter signed with UC Santa Barbara in the fall.

Brett Auer, Slater’s teammate at Newport Harbor, signed with Pepperdine to play men’s water polo.

The late signing period encompasses all sports other than football.