Volleyball squad takes 2nd in early tournament

By Michael Moroney ’13
THE ROUNDUP

Brophy’s volleyball team was ranked No. 5 in The Arizona Republic high school

volleyball rankings and head coach Mr. Tony Oldani and company will try to remain as one of the top teams in Arizona.

In Brophy’s first test of the 2011 season, they competed in the Chandler Wolf-Howl Invitational March 4 and 5 and earned second place, losing to Mountain Pointe in the finals. This was Brophy’s best finish ever at the tournament.

“Athletically, there are few teams that can match our depth. Our lack of experience has usually been our undoing early in the season,” Oldani said about the reason for the Broncos late breakdown in the championship game.

A couple days later, the Broncos started regular season play with three matches on three consecutive days against Notre Dame, Chandler and Highland.

Brophy only lost one game to Chandler March 9 in the three matches.

“I don’t think that we have reached our full potential yet because we still have a lot to work on,” said Scott Mueller ’13, a sophomore middle hitter.

The team looked to reach their full potential in later matches against Tucson Salpointe March 30 and Desert Vista April 15.

Much of the team’s early success can be attributed to returning team leaders Matt Pohlman ’11 and Nick Benson ’12, who are considered two of the top players in the state.

“Benson is the most complete volleyball player in the state and brings tremendous knowledge and ability to our team,” Oldani said. “Nick has matured into a leader who seeks to simply help his teammates improve without drawing attention to himself.”

Pohlman is a senior outside hitter who has led the team in kills in every match so far this year.

Looking ahead, the team has the upcoming Brophy Invitational April 1 and 2, after The Roundup’s print deadline, which features eight out of the top 10 teams in the state.

This tournament should prepare the Broncos for the competitive Las Vegas Easter Invitational, which hosts some of the best teams in the entire southwest.