The Coronado High School boys volleyball season is officially underway and Head Coach George Cavaco has high expectations for this year’s group.
Cavaco has coached for Coronado High School since 2012. He said he sees this team as the one that will bring home a title – something that hasn’t been achieved since 2017, when CHS made it to the championship game.
“I feel like we have a good chance to win a league title and get to the championship this season,” said Cavaco. “This season, we are going to be more dynamic; we’ll be able to run more set plays.”
Varsity returners and captains, senior Matthew Slentz and junior Quinten Sylvester, will be setting for the team, running a 6-2 rotation.
With two strong setters, according to Cavaco, the team will be able to experiment on the court with more plays.
“I’m definitely trying to be more vocal this year with my attackers, making sure we are on the same page. I feel like when there’s an opportunity for me to do something creative, I can call them to run a special play,” said Slentz. “We are confident in our talents that we can execute those.”
A roster filled with younger athletes
Four varsity returners line the roster this year, and five out of the 14 players are underclassmen.
“We have a really young team with a lot of young starters, which is exciting for the future because those starters are going to be able to start for many years to come,” said Sylvester. “I think we are kind of building not really a one-year team that’s going to be a dynasty team, but a team that’s going to be a lot better in years to come.”
For some of the guys, it’s their first year ever playing volleyball. Cavaco sees this newcomer presence on the team as potential waiting to be unlocked, something he is familiar with pulling out of players in the past.
“Our middle [hitter] Cameron [Lenert] – last year he was playing freshman volleyball for the first time. I told him if he keeps working hard and plays club, then he’ll be a starter for the next three years. He did that, he came back a lot better than he was last season. He’s smashing 1’s, he’s smashing all kinds of balls,” Cavaco said.
Freshman Anthony Anderson takes after Lenert this year, joining the ranks of middle hitters new to the sport.
Players like opposite hitter Nicholas Redding, a senior, who is committed to play Division 3 collegiate volleyball at the University of Lynchburg, will be leading the team by experience.
The three captains – Slentz, Sylvester and junior outside hitter Greyson Glorieux – plan to set an example for the younger players on the team.
“I feel a lot more confident and comfortable now that I’ve played a couple years, but I know for some of those younger guys it’s a little scary,” said Slentz. “So I want to make them feel like they’re ready to go in the game and feel comfortable on the court out there – just picking the guys up when they make mistakes, demonstrating the whole next-play mentality, making sure everyone is there.”
Islanders compete in first games of the season
This year, the Islanders will be competing in the Division 3 league, after competing in Division 2 last season. They had their first game on Feb. 21 against Olympian High School.
Despite the boys defeating the Olympian Eagles in four sets last year, they lost the season opener 3-1.
“We started off really hot, and then as the game went on, we let our errors build up too much and affect our mentality and mindset throughout the game,” said Glorieux. “As a team, we didn’t really have that desire to try and win, and I think that really changed when we went into our tournament.”
The Islanders ended their first week of the season with a tournament at Sweetwater Union High School, where 68 teams entered to compete. The team walked out of that tournament with three wins and two losses.
“We played a lot of D1 teams and higher division teams during that tournament, and we were able to hold our weight, participate and play good volleyball against them,” said Sylvester. “So, I’m excited to see how we play against the lower level teams.”
Team sets eyes on winning a title
As for the rest of the season, the team’s goal is to win the Division 3 league and CIF playoffs.
“Success to me is the team winning and the team succeeding, so if I get better in the process, I’m okay with that. But my main goal and my main drive is for the team to win,” said Glorieux.
While Cavaco holds that same goal, his main focus is the players on the court.
“For me, as a coach since 2012, it’s not about wins or losses, but about building character,” said Cavaco. “I told them if a college recruit comes in here, they already know you can play. They want to see what you’re doing on the sideline, how you interact with teammates, if you make a bad play – what do your mannerisms look like? Just those little things. After high school is over with, the character built will last a lifetime.”
