Boy’s Volleyball Club

Written by: Juan P Vinasco

2023 is the first year of the new Boy’s Volleyball Club here at CPHS. I interviewed with Coach Camua about how the season went and future expectations. Here is what Coach Camua said:

Who are your captains?

For this season, my captains were Alexis Yoc, Chris Urgiles and Baran Doner.

Who are your returning star players?

We did not play any other teams since it was just a starter club team so I could not really gauge how they would play in game, but the players that I would consider varsity level hoping to return next year are Chris Urgiles, Ibrahim Erkut, Anthony Fermin, Nick Jaramillo and Donovan Lopez. The lower classmen that have a high potential for the sport are Thomas Jimenez, Lucas Neira Mendez, Sebastian Valencia, Pablo Camacho and Edwin Orellanes.

What makes a good leader for your team?

For me, a good leader is someone who takes initiative on everything that we do, keeps everyone focused, and encourages and helps their teammates to strive to their full potential. It is key for a leader to have a positive attitude and mindset in order to create good team chemistry and bring out the best out of everyone.

What is the best thing about your sport and/or coaching it?

In general, I think every coach enjoys seeing the progression from a player’s first year to their final year. It is a great feeling to see their skills develop and the accomplishments that come with it from their hard work and dedication to their craft. Specifically for volleyball, I love the fast pace of the game and it never gets boring at higher level play.

What makes your sport unique?

Volleyball is a sport where teamwork is imperative in the team’s success. There cannot be one “star” player because the team needs to work in tandem to make individuals shine. It is also one of the only sports where there is always something exciting happening. It is a fast paced game where played correctly, can be very intense to watch and play. Volleyball is a very hard sport to master and you need to be very disciplined and very athletic to excel in the game.

Where do you expect the team to rank this season?

We were not an official sport, so there was no ranking for this season.

What are you and the team working on in practice?

This season, because this was the first year most players learned the sport, we worked on fundamentals and positions on the court.

What expectations do you have for your players?

The only expectations I have for my players is to give it their all and to respect themselves and others on and off the court.

What do you want your players to take away from the season?

During the season, we worked on ways to improve on technique and being able to coach themselves. If they have a passion for the sport, they will need to do some learning on their own and work on it during the off season and experiment to find their own type of playstyle that works for them. Another essential takeaway would be being humble in everything they do and knowing the time and place to show off. Yes, it is great to show off, but being humble and respectful will gain respect from others and have them acknowledge the talent.

That will conclude my interview with the Boy’s Volleyball Club. Thank you to Coach Camua for helping with this article. I cannot wait to see the future of this club and I wish them much success in the upcoming years. Go raiders!