DREAM TEAM

Before he came to Corona del Mar High in the fall of 2002, Scott Slaughter was strictly a basketball player.

“To be honest, in our family volleyball has always been a girls’ sport,” Slaughter said. “But my dad always said I should have a backup sport.”

Fast forward to the spring of 2006.

He still likes to hoop it up, but the 6-foot-6 middle blocker also led the Sea Kings volleyball team to a return appearance in the CIF Southern Section Division II championship match.

Slaughter is the Newport-Mesa Player of the Year in boys’ volleyball, highlighting the Daily Pilot Dream Team.

Joining him are Corona del Mar teammates Phil Bannon and Adam Smith, Costa Mesa High standouts Ryan Bagwell, Andrew Melcer and Mitch Caldwell, Newport Harbor stalwarts Sean Grubbs and Ted Slater, as well as Estancia’s Dallas Kopp and Scott Markley.

Slaughter, who has a volleyball scholarship to UC Santa Barbara, was CdM’s only senior starter and one of just three seniors on the team.

“He played like a senior should,” CdM Coach Steve Conti said. “He played at a high level every game, and he was really positive with the younger guys on our team. He also stepped up his game in the big matches.”

The Pacific Coast League Co-MVP, along with Tesoro’s Jeff Zornig, Slaughter had team-highs of 17 kills and six blocks in a come-from-behind semifinal playoff win at Santa Barbara.

He also had a team-high 12 kills in a tough five-game loss to Valencia of Valencia in the final, and was named MVP of the Dave Mohs Memorial Orange County All-Star Match, after helping the South team win.

Conti was instrumental in getting Slaughter to play volleyball, “recruiting” him off the Sea Kings’ frosh-soph basketball team.

“He fell in love with the game,” Conti said. “He could find his future wife in college and it’d start with a shot he took in the ninth grade. I think that’s what high school should be about; I think he found his niche.”

Slaughter said he was just thankful for the opportunity.

“It was the best season I’ve ever had in any sport, hands down,” Slaughter said. “I can’t thank Coach Conti enough, and my team. Everyone on the team was so supportive.”

The rest of the Dream Team:

Phil Bannon: A first-team All-Pacific Coast League performer, the 6-0 junior setter was a catalyst for the Sea Kings.

He ran the offense consistently well enough to keep the Sea Kings playing at a high level, in what some thought would be a rebuilding year.

“He’s able to run the middle off the net, which a lot of high school setters can’t do,” Conti said. “He’s got great hands and he developed a pretty good jump serve.”

Adam Smith: A junior outside hitter, he also earned first-team all-league honors. In his third varsity season, Smith stepped into his own this year after playing behind Corona del Mar standouts Tom and Kevin Welch.

“[Smith is] one of our better all-around players,” Conti said. “He’s not super big, but he’s pretty athletic and has a pretty big arm.”

Ryan Bagwell: It was also a very successful season for the Costa Mesa Mustangs, and the senior outside hitter helped lead the way.

Bagwell, who stands 6-1 and is a repeat Dream Team selection, also earned first-team All-CIF Division III recognition.

The Mustangs’ kill leader, who is headed for Orange Coast College in the fall, also had an uncanny ability to find the open spot while serving. One of the best jump servers in the area, he had 12 aces in one match.

“Best hitter, best passer, best defensive player,” Mustang Coach Chris Komer said. “He was our go-to guy.”

Andrew Melcer: A senior setter also bound for OCC, he was out for about five matches early in the season during a bout with mononucleosis.

But Melcer came back strong, running the offense all the way to the CIF Division III championship match.

“I think our final hitting percentage was .323,” Komer said. “That’s a pretty good hitting percentage, and it was because of [Melcer].”

Mitch Caldwell: The 6-0 senior middle blocker provided passion whenever the Mustangs lacked it. He had a team-high 10 kills in a Division III semifinal win over Orange Lutheran.

“He’s probably the most athletic person on the team, and the most excitable guy,” Komer said of yet another player bound for OCC. “He brought a lot of energy.”

Dallas Kopp: The Eagles finished their year with a marathon second-round playoff loss, but Kopp was one big reason why they advanced that far.

Kopp, making the Dream Team for the second straight year, was a 6-6 senior middle blocker who earned first-team All-Golden West League honors.

Headed to Long Beach State, Kopp was Estancia’s go-to player all season, sporting an impressive hitting percentage (around .550, said Eagles’ Coach Mark Cygan).

“When we needed a kill, he was the guy we wanted to get the ball to,” Cygan said. “He wasn’t the emotional leader with his mouth, but he was with his kills and his experience on the court.”

Scott Markley: The 5-11 senior all-league and third-team All-CIF honoree provided Estancia with plenty of kills over the course of the season.

He was also the team leader in digs, often alternating tasks with his brother, Shaun, as the Eagles needed.

Scott Markley will attend Cal Baptist in the fall and play for the three-time defending NAIA national champion Lancers.

Sean Grubbs: The Sailors’ 5-10 senior libero helped spark Coach Dan Glenn’s squad.

A first-team All-Sea View League selection, Grubbs was also named to the all-tournament team at the Orange County Championships, after leading the Tars to the tournament title.

“He’s probably the best high school player [at libero] that I saw,” Glenn said. “He’s also our best server, but at [libero] you don’t get to serve. That was a problem for us, but I’d rather have him on the court all the time than have to sub him out.”

Ted Slater: The 6-4 senior setter headed to the University of the Pacific makes the Dream Team for the second straight year.

A first-team all-league selection, Slater made the all-tournament team at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions and racked up the assists and blocks all season for Newport Harbor.