Eagles take aim at a league championship in volleyball

By Steve Ames Special to The Acorn

After a fourth-place finish last year in the Frontier League, the Oak Park boys’ volleyball team is shooting for something higher: first place.

The Eagles (9-1 overall, 3-1 league) have quickly come together and head coach Meredith Mangum is delighted and attributes the team’s success to many factors, beginning with returnees who were playing club volleyball during the off season.

"These kids have been working all year for this season," she said. "They worked real hard during the off season, traveling and playing on their club teams."

Oak Park also has a new student, sophomore middle blocker Justin Burridge, a transfer from Ohio, who’s helped out.

"He’s had a lot of experience playing club, so he came in and he’s been doing a great job leading the team," Mangum said.

Junior Alex Fliegelman, team captain, has also made a positive difference.

The team that practices hard usually plays better on game day and it’s paying dividends, according to Mangum. "We’ve been working really hard in practice," she said.

Sometimes Oak Park has three-hour weekday practices and the Eagles practice every Saturday for three more.

"The kids sometimes do tournaments on their own and play on to their own at the beach on weekends," the coach said. "They are just motivated this year."

The goal is to beat Oaks Christian, take first-place in league and go on to play in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section playoffs.

"We’ve got a lot of big goals and we have them studying hard and we have tutors for them," Mangum said. "We’re all putting in a lot of time, even the parents. It’s like a body. Everyone has their part. I think everybody this year is kind of stepping up.

"It’s all just kind of coming together. When you have every student with the same goal in mind and the same motivation, it works."

Last Thursday the Eagles beat the visiting Carpenteria Warriors, 3-1, on game scores of 26-24, 18-25, 25-19 and 25-17.

"It was a pretty big win," the coach said. "We lost to Carpenteria last year. We’ve already beaten Malibu and Carp this season. We’re doing well. We’re on the road a lot. This week was our first week of home games in about a month. It’s always good to come back home to a friendly crowd."

On Tuesday Oak Park was at Chaminade in West Hills to play the Eagles of the Mission League. The Eagles won’t play again until April 20 in a Frontier League road game at Santa Barbara against the Bishop Diego Cardinals at 5 p.m. On April 22, Oak Park will be at home to play the Malibu Sharks at 5 p.m.

As Mangum settles into the season, she’s becoming comfortable in her role.

"I was head coach of the girls and now the boys, and I’m starting to grow as a coach every year, so things are getting easier and easier," she said. "I encourage all players to play club in the off season because it makes the biggest difference. When they work hard all year long, it’s amazing."