Kathleen Ocampo
Emerging victorious for six back-to-back games, including their conference opener, the men’s volleyball team seemed to promise a great season. Sadly, the winning streak was the team’s biggest firework, and by the time of the Western State Conference, all the sparks had gone out. They would come close, but rarely won a set during their games – lowering their morale.Stanislawski tried to shake the team up by changing the starting lineup. But the players were only really shaken up when their starting setter, Sia Irillian, left them.While everyone was used to his force, speed and style in the court, someone else had to step in. Irillian said that he wanted to focus on his education, so he left the team. Honestly, I think he just didn’t have the guts to stick it out to the end. He quit after a lost game, reasoning later on that he wanted to focus on his studies and the game wasn’t important to him anymore. If his excuses were the least bit true, he would have discussed it with Stanislawski and maybe the team before the Moorpark College game – not after they had lost.Despite Irillian’s exit, the team almost won their second game against Moorpark.They must’ve been hit with some kind of epiphany about themselves then. That was the time they knew who they could count on to be their teammates.The team had good rallies during their games – long ones that kept fans at the edge of their seats, anxiously watching the ball and not taking their eyes off of it. But often it would lead to heartbreak.Though there’s no cure for that, there was a little dab of Betadine and a slap of a Band-Aid thanks to unreserved play from all of the three sophomores. Justin Corio delivered most of the games, which is probably the reason why he earned the Second Team All-Conference. Personally, I think the coaches at the WSC could have let him share this with Steve Umemoto,, who stepped up to the plate when Irillian left. If the men’s volleyball team doubted unity or any of the individuals playing on the team, they shouldn’t be now.With more rigid training and practice, all of them might play like they can be the state champions next year.