Friday, March 24
L-L VOLLEYBALL 2000
Intelligencer Journal
Ian Radcliff Intelligencer Journal Correspondent
The 2000 season is starting out eerily like the '99 campaign ended for the Hempfield boys' volleyball team.
After bowing out of states in the quarterfinals with their setter out and Lady Luck thumbing her nose at them, the Knights now find themselves without senior floor general Randy Paules.
And as an added bonus, senior opposite Patrick Shawaryn broke his right leg during soccer and is only playing back row.
So it's time for another upstart underdog to replace Hempfield atop Section One of the L-L League, right?
"I think we're actually better than last year's team," Paules said after a recent practice. "We have more experience, and we know what happened last year. I still can't believe what happened."
As if the four returning senior starters needed any more motivation (this would be the first graduating class since 1993 without a state championship), the debacle at Shippensburg last spring still weighs heavily as Hempfield opens its 2000 season tonight against McCaskey.
"I don't think they had the opportunity to show their stuff last year," said head coach Mike Vogel, who saw his team bow out in the quarterfinals after PIAA officials needed half an hour and gobs of ink to figure out who advanced out of Pool A.
"The main thing is getting Paules in. You can't lose your quarterback. You can live with the fiasco of last year but not your setter going down."
Last Monday Paules was playing some pickup basketball, landed goofy, and ended up with a cracked left tibia just below his knee. He'll be out for another three or four weeks, and in will step junior Matt Baker, who was solid at states last year when Paules sprained his ankle.
Shawaryn's break is more serious, a spiral fracture of the right leg. True to form, he's playing a great back row _ so far.
"(Shawaryn) is an incredible kid," Paules said. "It's amazing how he can hurt himself and come back so early."
"No jumping bothers me," Shawaryn said. "As far as the team, we have a lot of potential. I think we've finally matured. We need to all be on the same page and we need Baker to get touches."
And he will, especially early on. His go-to guy will be senior outside hitter Derek Shultz, a third-year starter and Hempfield's most consistent hitter last year. Middles Rob Fisher and Adam Greenawalt are monsters clogging up the net, and another middle, junior Ben Murray, who saw significant playing time at states, is all set for a breakthrough year.
Just as impressive is the Knights' second team, where four juniors should see time in the rotation. Outsides Keith Maurer, Tony Spangler and Steve Mummaw, and 6-foot-7 middle Matt Manning make up the deepest bench in the league.
"So far, I'm really impressed," Paules said. "It's hard sitting on the bench and watching the team, but we're looking really good. We lost one outside hitter (Section One Player of the Year Ryan Wood) who was an incredible player, but our bench is really deep this year and I think we can go really far."
Until the healing is complete and Paules gets back into his rhythm, it could be a dogfight. Warwick returns a potent twosome in Nate Sample and Nate Wertsch, and Cedar Crest boasts arguably the best player in the league, Craig Dietrich. But as in years past, the Knights are just too focused and too deep.
"I don't foresee a weak spot on the team," Vogel said. "They won't be satisfied unless they win everything this year. I just hope they're hungry."