Boys youth volleyball is alive and well in California.
So says the results of the 2017 VolleyballMag.com Boys Fab 50 list, which ranks the top 50 senior-age boys players in the nation. The voting is done by a panel of NCAA men’s Division I-II coaches. The list is not an exclusive reflection on high-school, club or USA HP performance, but rather an amalgamation of all the top players in the country.
Of the 50 players on the list, 27 come from California.
Perennial national-power Loyola of Los Angeles landed Will Bantle, Ian Parish and JP Reilly on the Fab 50 list. Loyola recently defeated fellow power Corona del Mar of Newport Beach for the CIF Southern California Regional Division I title (the equivalent to a state title). CdM had beaten Loyola a week earlier for the CIF Southern Section Division I title.
Speaking of CdM, coach Steve Conti’s squad has three players on the Fab 50 list (Clay Dickinson, Mitch Haly and Jake Meyer) and four more on our 30 Underclassmen to Watch list (Brandon Browning, Kevin Korbine, Patrick Paragas and Diego Lopez).
Odds are you’ll be hearing plenty about both Loyola and CdM next month when we release our annual boys’ high-school All-American awards.
Two Illinois high schools also stand out on this year’s list.
Glenbard West, out of the Chicago western suburb of Glen Ellyn, is as powerful as ever with Sean Farmer, Robbie Murphy and Zac Norvid all appearing on the Fab 50. New Trier, out of the Chicago north shore suburb of Winnetka, has Niko Gjaja and Billy Fauntleroy. As this story was completed, both Glenbard West and New Trier were a win away from playing in the state finals tournament in Illinois.
In terms of club prominence on the Fab 50 list, Southern California-based Balboa Bay tops the list with seven Fab 50 selections, while HP STL out of St. Louis checks in with five. Manhattan Beach Surf and 949, both of out Southern California, each had four, while upstate New York-based Eden and the suburban Chicago Sports Performance and Adversity clubs had three selections each.
In addition to asking the panel of Division I-II coaches each year for their Fab 50 votes, they also are asked to rank the top five players in the senior class. Here are the top five in the graduating class of 2017 who will 2018 college-season freshmen:
1. Jaylen Jasper (6-7, OH, Annapolis VBC, Stanford)
2. Joel Schneidmiller (6-6, OH, Bay to Bay VBC, UC Irvine)
3. Adam Parks (6-4, S, Spectrum VBC, UCLA)
4. Sam Lewis (6-10, MB, Team Rockstar, USC)
5. Gage Worsley (6-2, Libero, Pacific Rim VBC, Hawaii)
2017 VolleyballMag.com Boys Fab 50
Name, Ht., Pos., High School, Club, College
Colin Bailey, 6-6, OH-RS, Torrey Pines (San Diego, Calif.), Rise (Thousand Oaks, CA), UCLA
Will Bantle, 6-5, OH, Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.), MB Surf, Penn State
Kade Bontrager, 5-11 1/2, OH-Libero, Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo.), HP STL, IPFW
Ben Chinnici, 6-3, OH, Pennridge (Perkasie, Pa.), Club Lehigh, Ball State
Ryan DeWeese, 6-5, RS, Natomas Prep (Sacramento, Calif.), NCVC, Northridge
Clay Dickinson, 6-7, OH, Corna del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.), Balboa Bay, USC
Sean Farmer, 6-3, S, Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Sports Performance, UC Irvine
Billy Fauntleroy, 6-7, OH-MB, New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.), Adversity, USC
Noah Franklin, 6-6, OH, Huntington Beach (Calif.), Team Rockstar, USC
Gabriel Garcia, 6-5, RS, St. Francis School (Carolina, P.R.), Borinquen Coqui, BYU
Alex Gettinger, 6-3, OH, Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo.), HP STL, Pepperdine
Niko Gjaja, 6-3, S, New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.), Adversity, Princeton
Chris Hall, 6-2, S, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), MB Surf, USC
Mitch Haly, 6-7, MB, Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.), Balboa Bay, USC
Zach Hendrickson, 6-0, Libero, Saint Xavier (Louisville, Ky.), Louisville Fury, BYU
Leo Henken, 6-5, OH-RS, University (St. Louis, Mo.), HP STL, Stanford
Will Hippe, 6-7, MB, DeSmet Jesuit (St. Louis, Mo.), HP STL, Ball State
Jess Hunt, 6-4, OH, San Clemente (Calif.), 949, Princeton
Taylor Ittner, 6-4, S, Placer (Meadow Vista, Calif.), NCVC, Northridge
Kirk Jackson, 6-7, MB, Fort Zumwalt West (O’Fallon, Mo.), HP STL, McKendree
Jaylen Jasper, 6-7, OH, Broadneck (Annapolis, Md.), Annapolis, Stanford
Devin Joslyn, 6-6, OH, Canisius (Buffalo, N.Y.), Eden, Loyola
Joe Kenzinger, 6-6, MB, Brother Rice (Chicago, Ill.), Ultimate, Lewis
Thomas Kovanic, 6-8, OH, West Aurora (Aurora, Ill.), Sports Performance, Loyola
Spencer Lawrence, 6-4, MB, Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.), Balboa, Ohio State
Sam Lewis, 6-10, MB, Long Beach (Calif.) Poly, Team Rockstar, USC
Grant Maleski, 6-9, MB, Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.), Adversity, UCLA
Jake Meyer, 6-4, MB, Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.), Balboa Bay, USC
Marc Moody, 6-7, MB, Lake Nona (Orlando, Fla.), Ocean Bay, Long Beach State
Robbie Murphy, 6-5, OH, Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Hitmen, Ohio State
Zac Norvid, 6-1, Libero, Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Sports Performance, Pepperdine
Spencer Olivier, 6-6, OH, Beckman (Tustin, Calif.), Balboa Bay, Long Beach State
Ian Parish, 6-9, MB, Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.), MB Surf, UCLA
Adam Parks, 6-4, S, Oak Park (Calif.), Rise (Thousand Oaks, CA), UCLA
Henry Payne, 6-4, OH, Clarence (N.Y.), Eden, Penn State
Cole Paxson, 5-10, Libero, Laguna Beach (Calif.), Balboa Bay, USC
Garland Peed, 6-1, S-Libero, Torrey Pines (San Diego, Calif.), Coast, UCLA
Aaron Plaisted, 6-3, OH, Wauwatosa (Wis.) East, Milwaukee, McKendree
Kyler Presho-Hartung, 6-8, MB, San Clemente (Calif.), 949, Stanford
Carlos Rivera, 6-3, S, Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.), Balboa Bay, Long Beach State
Griffin Schmit, 6-5, RS, Canisius (Buffalo, N.Y.), Eden, Harvard
Joel Schneidmiller, 6-6, OH, Saratoga (Calif.), Bay to Bay, UC Irvine
Christian Seiber, 6-5, RS-OH, Cathedral (San Diego, Calif.), Coast, UCSB
Charlie Siragusa, 6-8, OH-RS, McQuaid Jesuit (Rochester, N.Y.), 949, BYU
Trent Williams , 6-2 OH, Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.), 949, NA (previous Cal Baptist)
Gage Worsley, 6-2, Libero, Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.), Pacific Rim, Hawaii
Garrett Zolg, 6-3, S, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), The HBC, Loyola
JP Reilly, 6-4, OH-RS, Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.), MB Surf, Stanford
Spencer Wickens, 6-0, Libero, McQuaid Jesuit (Rochester, N.Y.), Pace, Pepperdine
Zevan Williams, 6-4, RS-MB, Clovis (Calif.), Pacific Rim, UC Irvine
Boys 30 Underclassmen to Watch List
Name, Ht., Pos., Year, High School, Club, College
Tim Baldwin, 6-6, OH, Jr., Oak Park (Calif.), Rise, BYU
Jonny Bowles, 6-7, RS, Jr., Chandler (Ariz.), Aspire, UC Irvine
Brandon Browning, 6-4, OH, Jr., Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.), 949, USC
Sam Burgi, 6-3, OH-RS, Jr., Laguna Beach (Calif.), 949, UCLA
Max Cajuste, 6-3, OH-RS, Jr., Mira Coasta (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), MB Surf, NA
Matt Coplen, 6-8, MB-RS, Jr., University (St. Louis, Mo.), HP STL, NA
Joe D’Attomo, 6-6, MB, Jr., New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.), Adversity, NA
James Hartley, 6-5, OH, Soph., Marvin Ridge (Waxhaw, N.C.), Carolina Union, NA
Cole Johnson, 6-6, S-OH, Jr., Central York (York, Pa.), Yorktowne, NA
Kevin Kauling, 6-7, S, Soph., Neuqua Valley (Naperville, Ill.), Sports Performance, NA
Kevin Kobrine, 6-3, RS, Jr., Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.), 949, UCLA
Andrew Lyons, 6-5, OH, Jr., Maury (Norfolk, Va.), Coastal, NA
JT Martin, 6-7, MB, Jr., Cardinal Gibbons (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Ocean Bay, NA
Daniel Matheney, 6-4, MB-OH, Jr., Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.), Rockstar, NA
Andrew McSweeney, 6-3, OH, Jr., Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo, Calif.), 949, UCSB
Kyle Merchen, 6-3, S-RS, Jr., Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), Mountain View, NA
Parker Mikesch, 5-11, Libero-S-OH, Jr., Beavercreek (Ohio), Vanguard, Ohio State
Jerod Nelson, 6-5, OH, Jr., Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), MVVC, NA
Patrick Paragas, 6-0, S, Jr., Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.), 949, NA
Cole Pender, 6-3, OH, Jr., Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.), Balboa Bay, UCLA
Diego Perez, 6-0, Libero, Jr., Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.), 949, NA
Sean Ryan, 6-3, OH, Jr., Lyons Township (LaGrange, Ill.), Adversity, NA
Buddy Scott, 6-6, S, Jr., Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii), MVVC, NA
Scott Solan, 6-7, RS, Soph., Palo Verde (Las Vegas, Nev.), Vegas United, NA
Jacob Steele, 6-8, OH, Jr., El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.), Balboa Bay, Pepperdine
Ethan Talley, 6-7, RS, Jr., Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.), 949, Ohio State
Matthew Tompkins, 6-2, OH, Soph., Trinity (Euless, Texas), HP STL, Ohio State
Ryan Wilcox, 6-3, OH, Jr., Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii), Spike and Serve VBC, UCSB
Brett Wildman, 6-5, OH-RS-S, Jr., Cox (Virginia Beach, Va.), Coastal, NA
In the original version of this list, Garrett Halsey of Anaheim, Calif., was incorrectly listed as a junior. He is a senior headed to BYU.
Some body (it would seem in appearance) is a HUGE homer–as it were.
U$C has nearly 1/5 of your list headed for Watts.
WOW!
Left off top underclassman Pepperdine Commit Brendin Chandler. Plays for BONES 17 and goes to Calabasas High School.
What about east coast Liberos. No high school vb. Only club. But highly recruited!
6’2 Libero MVP
Brendin Chandler 6’6″ S Pepperdine BONES Calabasas High
And left off
Blake Crisp 6’3″ S undecided SMBC Westlake High
Trevor kennan MVP 17🔥
Commits to George Mason
[…] because of volleyball,” said James Hartley, a member of volleyballmag.com’s 2017 list of 30 underclassmen to watch. “When I was growing up, I didn’t really have many opportunities to play volleyball; I played […]