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Boys volleyball wins five matches

An overall record of 5-20, including 0-12 in Avocado West League competition, might not be considered a good season for many boys volleyball teams. Fallbrook High School's 5-20 record gave the Warriors five more wins than last year – and five more wins than in the past four seasons combined.

"The season actually went great," said Fallbrook head coach Chip Patterson.

An April 7 road match at Mount Miguel gave the Warriors their first victory since March 26, 2010, and broke a 71-match losing streak. Fallbrook defeated the Matadors a second time during the West Coast Challenge tournament, and in the Monte Vista Varsity Tournament the Warriors defeated Monte Vista, Serra, and Mater Dei.

During the Warriors' losing streak they did not take a best-of-three tournament match to three games, and the only two best-of-five matches which went to five games were a 2010 contest at Escondido and a 2011 match at El Camino. This year, the Warriors lost two matches in five games; the fifth game of Fallbrook's April 20 league loss at San Dieguito Academy had a 15-10 score and in the April 27 non-league loss to Del Lago Academy the fifth game was tied at 14-14 before the Firebirds scored the final two points for a 16-14 victory. The Warriors also forced a third game in their Monte Vista Varsity Tournament loss to Serra; the Conquistadors took the deciding game by a 15-11 score.

San Dieguito Academy's four-game win May 5 constituted the only time the Warriors won a game on their home court. Although the Mustangs defeated Fallbrook twice, the Warriors had the better overall record.

Four North County Conference schools – Mission Vista, Oceanside, Rancho Buena Vista, and Vista – do not have boys volleyball teams. The North County Conference has four girls volleyball leagues; Fallbrook is in the Valley League with Mission Vista, Oceanside, Orange Glen, Ramona, and Valley Center. In 2015, the conference had three boys volleyball leagues including the Avocado West League with Fallbrook, Carlsbad, Del Norte, El Camino, La Costa Canyon, Mission Hills, and San Dieguito Academy.

The league alignment limited the league success of Fallbrook and San Dieguito, but it was also a detriment to co-champions La Costa Canyon and Carlsbad, who each posted 11-1 league records. Strength of schedule is a factor in the power rankings which determine playoff seeding, and a stronger top-to-bottom showing in the five-team Western League placed four Western League teams in the Open Division playoffs while Carlsbad and La Costa Canyon were in Division I.

The City Conference utilizes competitive balance for its boys volleyball leagues; St. Augustine lost all eight Western League games but the Saints were 13-5 in non-league contests during the regular season. The seven-team league also limited the ability of La Costa Canyon and Carlsbad, who faced each other in the Division I final, to schedule non-league opponents who could improve their strength of schedule.

After the season, the North County Conference coaches unanimously recommended a realignment to create four five-team leagues based on competitive balance, and the conference's athletic directors subsequently ratified that approval. Del Norte, Mount Carmel, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Westview will be in the Palomar League. Canyon Crest, Carlsbad, El Camino, La Costa Canyon, and Torrey Pines will play Avocado West League matches. The Avocado East League will consist of Escondido, Mission Hills, Ramona, San Marcos, and San Pasqual. Fallbrook will be in the Valley League along with Orange Glen, San Dieguito Academy, Valley Center, and Sage Creek, which had only ninth-grade and tenth-grade students in 2014-15 and did not have a varsity boys volleyball season.

"Next year this team is going to make a good run," Patterson said. "They ought to do good."

Geography as well as competitive equity was considered. In addition to greater flexibility to schedule non-league games, a fourth league will also provide another set of athletes with post-season awards. This year, the Avocado West League second team included Fallbrook junior Isaac Maxwell.

"That's good news," Patterson said. "Last year no one was selected."

Only one middle blocker was selected to the Avocado West League's first team, and Maxwell was one of two middle blockers on the second team.

"Isaac is a phenomenal player. Isaac is talented," Patterson said.

"This year he had to overcome his back injury," Patterson said. "He's getting better."\

Maxwell was able to make contributions to the team even if he wasn't in full physical condition to maximize his on-court success. "He's instrumental in bringing in other players," Patterson said. "Other kids want to play because of Isaac."

Maxwell and Matt Araiza, who injured his ankle with the Warrior basketball team and missed the first three weeks of the season, were Fallbrook's only returning players from 2014. This year's team had no seniors, so Patterson expects to return his entire team for 2016. "I'm looking forward to the challenge and hopefully it will all go well for Fallbrook," he said.

 

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