SANTA ANA — A few weeks ago, the Mater Dei boys volleyball team was barely hovering above the .500 mark.
Now, the Monarchs are in prime position to earn a highly-coveted berth in the Division 1 bracket of the CIF-SS playoffs and make a deep postseason run.
Mater Dei swept Santa Margarita, 25-21,25-22, 25-15, on Friday night to remain unbeaten in Trinity League play.
The Monarchs (20-10-2, 6-0) were led by 6-6 senior Jack Jadon, who had a team-high 14 kills. Jadon also collected four blocks and three aces.
Mater Dei coach Jake Nuneviller credits the Best of the West Tournament in early March as a key point in the Monarchs’ season.
“Best of the West was huge for us because it gave us an opportunity to play a lot of games in a short period of time,” he said, “and it gave us an opportunity to build some chemistry, which gave the coaches an opportunity to see where our holes were and we’ve worked really, really hard.”
“I think we work harder than any program I’ve ever been associated with,” Nuneviller continued. “There might be teams that have more talent than us, there are more teams that have more talent than us, that’s not in the question, but we work really hard.”
Nuneviller said his goals for the team include a league championship with a perfect 10-0 record and to earn a spot in Division 1 when the playoffs begin April 30.
“I think we’re peaking at the right time,” Nuneviller said, “and hopefully we can get enough wins to get into that Division 1 (bracket), but the algorithm scares me. I think with a committee, anybody would put us in the top 8, but that algorithm makes me nervous. We have had some tough losses at the beginning of the year that might come back to bite us, but I think I think we can compete with the best of them.”
Key players like Ben Smith, Jaremiah Potasi and Dylan Gallagher have led the attack while setter Jake Newman is amongst the nation’s leaders in assists.
When it comes to the intangibles, Jadon has a tremendous impact on his team.
“Jack was a transfer (from Mira Costa last season),” Nuneviller said. “He was such a gift, and he is gifted in the sense that he’s tall, right? But, and I mean this in a compliment, he’s not the most athletic guy out there. But he’s so smart. He maximizes everything that he has. He’s one of the most coachable kids that I’ve ever had.”
“He is a very, very good blocker and that’s huge,” the coach added. “Everybody’s best guys are outside, for the most part, so having a good, strong block out there is huge. He’s been great for us. He kills the ball, serves tough, he’s got a nice jump serve, pretty consistent and he’s got a nice touch, like his touch on his platform on the ball is great. He’s a good, steady player for us.”
Mater Dei will face Servite on Wednesday, April 9, in a Trinity League match and can clinch a share of the Trinity League title with a win.
Nuneviller stresses the importance of the journey as the Monarchs make their way toward their final push of the campaign.
“One game at a time, man,” he said. “Everybody looks at the big picture, and I’ve learned this over the last few years is like, you gotta enjoy getting there. And take any opportunity that you get to compete at a high level against some of the top teams in the country, and I think we’re one of the top teams in the country.”
