Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now.
DAILY NEWS ALL-AREA BOYS VOLLEYBALL 2023
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Blake Pohevitz, Chatsworth, Sr.
Boys volleyball is full of multi-sport athletes. Some players take up volleyball during the offseason of their primary sport, while others switch from one sport to volleyball entirely.
Many times, there’s a basketball-volleyball crossover. But Chatsworth’s Blake Pohevitz came from a baseball background.
“I fell out of love with the game,” said Pohevitz, who switched to volleyball in eighth grade. “I wanted to pursue other sports and volleyball has similar arm swings to baseball and I felt I could excel there, and I was tall already.”
Those physical attributes got him far in a senior year that included 523 kills, 182 blocks, 47 aces and 41 blocks. Baseball also programmed him to be a perfectionist, a characteristic that volleyball managed to break.
“I was crying like every day in baseball because I was a perfectionist and I wanted to succeed in every realm,” he said. “Volleyball definitely teaches you that failure is possible. A good hitting percentage is not even .500 and you’ve just gotta accept failure sometimes. You’ve gotta work through it and push to be a better player.”
Pohevitz feels he improved as an individual, particularly when it came to leadership, as the Chancellors grew as a team around him to eventually go unbeaten in the West Valley League and win a LA City Section Open Division championship at Cal State Northridge on May 31 via sweep of Palisades. Pohevitz had a match-high 18 kills.
Chatsworth sweeps Palisades to win its second City Open Division title in three years, 25-18, 25-22, 25-18.
George Mason commit Blake Pohevitz led the way for the Chancellors, an impressive player. pic.twitter.com/1XstBvmpRJ
— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) May 14, 2023
Chatsworth dropped a set against Narbonne in the first round of the City Section playoffs. After the match, the Chancellors vowed to win every set from that moment on. They swept El Camino Real in the next match, then swept Palisades for the title.
“I realized as we got into playoffs the teams we played two or three times in season, they know our game plan,” Pohevitz said. “It was up to me and my other captain Jacob (Peres) to step up and put a great attitude and lead the team and do whatever we can to make them positive so that we can win a city championship.”
Pohevitz is the third standout City Section athlete in his family, and also the youngest. His older brother swam and played water polo for Cleveland and his older sister played soccer at Birmingham. Pohevitz has excelled for himself in volleyball, but could still find his way back to baseball.
He will continue playing volleyball in college at NCAA Division I George Mason University while studying statistics. The goal is to become a baseball statistician or analyst, but what volleyball has done sticks with him.
“Chatsworth volleyball definitely shaped me into the person I am today,” he said. “I’m just so thankful for the experience and meeting so many great teammates and all these amazing coaches that came into my life.”
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Owen Douphner, Hart, Sr.
Douphner led the attack as Hart went unbeaten in the Foothill League for its first league title in 30 years, then on to a CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship.
The 6-foot-7 outside hitter had a quick and powerful swing that got him 534 kills in Hart’s 38 matches this season. He held a .541 hitting percentage and added 61 blocks and 173 digs. Douphner will continue his playing career at California State, Northridge.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Isaac Kim, Hart, Sr.
Kim made a position change from outside hitter to play libero this season and quickly found his place to both coordinate the team and play a major individual role on defense. Kim ended the season with 335 digs and was also valuable from the service line with 19 aces.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Loy Mueller, Hart
Mueller took Hart to heights it hadn’t seen since at least 1993 this season. Between a Foothill League title and a CIF-SS title, he created a buzz around his alma mater’s program. Mueller experimented with new ideas, like bringing in his yoga instructor mom to guide his players through meditative exercises to build team cohesion and steadfast mentalities, which showed in high-stress situations.
ALL-AREA TEAM
(Figures are approximate based on available stats)
Carter Borth, Royal, Sr.
415 assists, 15 kills, 10 aces; All-Coastal Canyon League first team
Nate Egerstrom, Calabasas, Sr.
243 kills, .267 hit%, 37 aces, 38 blocks, 191 digs; All-Marmonte League first team
Aiden Fisher, Calabasas, Jr.
270 digs; Marmonte League libero of the year
Hank Kaufmann, Hart, Sr.
Over 400 kills, .422 hit%, 37 aces, 32 blocks, 172 digs; Division 4 All-CIF selection; All-Foothill League first team
Preston Kling, Oak Park, Sr.
Coastal Canyon League MVP
Tyler Linville, Thousand Oaks, Sr.
330 kills, .304 hit%, 31 aces, 35 blocks, 134 digs; All-Marmonte League first team
Gabe Metcalf, St. Francis, Sr.
1,022 assists, 245 digs, 45 blocks, 30 aces, 60 kills; All-Mission League first team
Brett Novak, Paraclete, So.
Division 5 All-CIF selection; CIF-SS Division 5 runner-up
Logan Oliverson, Newbury Park, Sr.
257 kills, 5 kills per set, 32 aces, 41 blocks; All-Marmonte League MVP
Ethan Pangiban, Alemany, Sr.
Division 3 All-CIF selection
Jacob Peres, Chatsworth, Sr.
275 digs, 39 aces; All-City Section Open Division first team
Kristianu Untalan, Valencia, Sr.
376 assists, 41 digs, 22 kills, 19 blocks, 17 aces; All-Foothill League first team
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
