The high school All-City teams are selected by Presidio Sports to recognize the top high school student-athletes competing on the South Coast from Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria. Selections are based upon on-court performance and team leadership.
Volleyball coaches often point to their team being in system when things are going well on the court.
Carl Mendoza could be considered the system manager for Santa Barbara High?s boys team. With Mendoza passing the ball, the Dons? attack ran like a well-oiled machine. And, he didn?t just do it on serve receptions.
Mendoza?s ball control when digging big hits was amazing. On most occasions, his digs were more on target to the setter than most players? passes of a serve.
?Carl Mendoza was a key player in our success this year,? Dons coach Chad Arneson acknowledged.
Mendoza?s outstanding play as a libero helped Santa Barbara win the Channel League title and advance to the CIF-SS Division 2 final.
Presidio Sports is pleased to recognize Mendoza as the MVP of the All-City Boys Volleyball Team.
The players selected to the All-City team are Shane Hauschild and Christian Widmer of San Marcos, Cameron Fry and Jackson Wopat of Dos Pueblos and Ryan Worley and Hart Pitcher of Santa Barbara.
The efficiency of Santa Barbara?s potent attack started with Mendoza.
?Without Carl this season, our boys would have struggled offensively. Whenever we needed a dig or big play, Carl was always there for us,? said Arneson.
His passing percentage was 2.61 out of a possible 3.0.
Besides having excellent skills, Mendoza possessed great court savvy. He was very good at reading hitters and putting himself in the right position to not only scoop blistering spikes but keep the ball on his side of the net, so his team could respond in transition.
The senior picked up 335 digs this season, averaging 4.6 digs per set, and had 33 assists. He also made an impact at the service line, racking up 18 aces and serving the ball in 95 percent of the time.
2013 ALL-CITY BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Carl Mendoza
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MVP: Carl Mendoza, Sr., Santa Barbara
Hart Pitcher, Santa Barbara, Sr., setter: He ran the Dons wide-open attack, finishing the year with 1,245 assists. ?Hart was our quarterback this year,? Arneson said. ?He carried our team to a Channel League title and CIF final. If we didn’t have Hart Pitcher as our setter, I don’t know if we could have gone this far this year.?
Ryan Worley, Santa Barbara, Sr. outside hitter: The versatile Worley had 230 kills, 28 blocks and 120 digs for the season. ?Ryan Worley was our most consistent player offensively,? Arneson said. ?He could play almost every position. He has a great attitude on and off the court, and he?s calm and collective. You could always rely on Ryan Worley.?
Shane Hauschild, San Marcos, Jr. outside hitter: Hauschild was the go-to guy for the Royals. His tremendous hitting from the outside helped them advance to the CIF Division 2 semifinals. He averaged 5 kills per set during the regular season and almost six in the playoffs. He also was the team?s primary passer ?and our best passer in service receive this year, game in and game out,? coach Roger Kuntz said. ?Shane seemed to rise to the level of the occasion and continued to get stronger as the competition got stronger.?
Christian Widmer: San Marcos, Jr., setter: The maestro of the Royals? fast-paced, attack. ?As a two-year starter, Christian changed a slow offense into an offense with pace and clarity,? said Kuntz. ?He had few setting errors during the season and his decision making was flawless. He continues to get better on a daily basis.? Widmer averaged 11 assists per set. Widmer plays the game with great tenacity. ?Christian believes he can win every point and is the strongest fighter I have coached in this program,? said Kuntz.
Jackson Wopat, Dos Pueblos, Sr. Middle attacker: The 6-5 UC San Diego-bound Wopat averaged over 10 kills per match when he returned from a leg injury and helped the Chargers reach the CIF Division 2 quarterfinals. “He is a big, powerful, and very smart and disciplined volleyball player in the middle position,? DP coach Chris Hughes said. ?Dos Pueblos became a different team when he came back from injury.?
Cameron Fry, Dos Pueblos, Sr., Middle attacker: The 6-4 Fry played with great intensity and energy and was a beast in the middle. ?He is a blue-collar workhorse that inspired the team with his play and with his work ethic,? said coach Hughes. ?He has a great work ethic on the team and works harder than anybody and it shows in his play. He absolutely loves the team and loves volleyball. He is a very inspiring player.”
