San Clemente uses attitude to thrive
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Boys volleyball: Tritons don't seem ready to surrender South Coast title.
Recent sweeps against Capistrano Valley, Aliso Niguel and Mission Viejo don't stand out as much as they make sense. San Clemente and South Coast League champion have almost become synonymous in boys volleyball.
But it was not always that way.
In 1999, Coach Ken Goldstone took over a program that had not won its league since 1983. The Tritons (12-4, 4-0) have since won six consecutive league titles and 61 of their past 65 league matches.
“When it comes down to it, what you do there is what you're going to do in CIF,” he said. “It's more attitude than anything.”
This year it began with senior Caden Mulligan, an All-County libero who started the season at outside hitter and seamlessly moved back. Goldstone said his three junior starters — setter Arik Metzger and 6-6 middle blockers Ian Castellana and Grayson Overman — have also grown.
San Clemente opened the season with sweeps against Foothill and Woodbridge, but lost four of its next eight matches in 15-point final game settings. Two weeks ago San Clemente beat second-place league foe Tesoro in five games.
“Sometimes we would finish up games and we weren't ready to play the next game,” Goldstone said. “I've told them, ‘You got understand teams are going to come back if you don't keep pressing.' I think maybe we had to experience those things.
“We got down to playing every point hard.”
Contact the writer: amaya@ocregister.com
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