Although the summer is winding down, the beach volleyball season for high school boys is just beginning.
The Southern Pacific Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League (IBVL) kicks off its fourth season of boys competition Saturday at Ocean Park in Santa Monica where Redondo will begins its title defense with a pair of non-division contests.
The Sea Hawks have won two championship in the last three years and, although in a rebuilding year after losing five of six varsity starters, they have skilled players led by four-year starter and USA Volleyball National Team member Logan Glave.
Redondo has two varsity reserves from last season,Jake Ernst and Cinjun Cole, who also were the overall number one JV team Both are solid players with good defensive and offensive games.
“We are looking forward to a lot of new energy coming from a couple seniors, Ian Pizzuti and Kai Osagie, who will be joining the varsity squad for the first time,” Redondo coach Corey Glave said. “This is a new team trying to figure out its own identity. Our strength will be our focus, desire and hustle.”
Redondo opens the season Saturday with a 10 a.m.contest with Bishop Montgomery of the Mission Division followed by a 12 p.m. meeting with Palisades Charter.
Mira Costa plays Loyola at 9 am. and Notre Dame at 12 p.m.
Schools compete with three pairs of doubles teams to form a school varsity or junior varsity squad. Each school competes against another school’s pair of three teams, in order of rank, to determine the dual match winners.
Starting with 15 varsity teams in 2013, the IBVL has increased to 29 teams competing in six Varsity divisions and 18 squads playing in three JV divisions.
There was a shuffling of divisions this year and the varsity Bay Division has five strong programs that include Mira Costa, Palos Verdes, Redondo, San Clemente and Santa Monica.
“It will be very difficult, but not impossible to defend our title,” Glave said. “All five schools in our division earned their way into the playoffs last year, with Redondo facing Santa Monica in the quarterfinals and San Clemente in the semi-finals.”
Mira Costa and Redondo will each field two teams in the JV division. The Bay Division includes the same teams as the varsity level but frosh/soph teams from Mira Costa and Redondo will play in the Ocean Division with Culver City, Loyola, Notre Dame and Palisades Charter.
South Bay teams will play the remainder of their regular season matches at Dockweiler State Beach before playoffs begin Oct. 5.
For the season schedule, visit ibvl.org. ER
