MHS recorded its “best win of the season” against Don Lugo in the quarterfinals before losing to Samueli Academy.
The Malibu High School boys volleyball team continued its strong performance in a home match against the Don Lugo Conquistadors on May 2nd.
Sharks freshman outside hitter Timur Podgore launched the volleyball over the net on his serve in the first set for an ace to give Malibu a five-point lead.
Later in the set, Podgoa soared above the net and slammed the ball so hard that a pair of jumping Conquistadors attempted to block it only to send the ball into the net, where Podgoa scored the kill and the Sharks secured the first set victory.
Early in the second set, sophomore outside hitter Keegan Cross rocketed the ball past Don Lugo players for an ace.
The rest of the set and match went similarly, with the Sharks winning in four sets thanks to points from Cross and Podgor, blocks from freshman outside hitter Martin Clear and digs from sophomore Alex Gallant, who can play multiple positions.
Malibu head coach Derek Saenz said the 3-1 win in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section boys volleyball Division 6 championship was his team's best win of the 2024 season.
“They were the most physical team we've seen this year,” Saenz said of Don Lugo. “Beating them gave us a lot of confidence. It was a very tactical match for us. If we didn't serve to the right targets, they would attack us and we would struggle. It was the most disciplined match we've seen on the court. It was a good environment.”
The Sharks lost 3–0 to the Samueli Academy Firewolves in the semifinals on May 4. The Firewolves defeated Riverside Poly in their next game on May 10 to win the Division VI title.
Saenz said Samueli Academy is a talented team, but the match wasn't out of reach for the Sharks, who only have two seniors, senior setter Alex Jimenez and junior libero Nick Shaffi.
“There were a lot of little bad moments from everybody,” he said. “It's never good to end a season with a loss. We're just very young. They were a strong team, they put us in pressure situations and we played like a young team.”
Malibu's playoff run began with a 3–2 win over Kate on April 27. Three days later, they defeated Eastside by the same score in the second round, followed by a win over Don Lugo.
Saenz said Malibu struggled with how to become a mature team throughout the regular season, but got back on track once the playoffs began.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly we focused and trained pretty well,” he said.
The Sharks finished the season with a 23-13 record overall, including a 10-0 record and first place in the Citrus Coast League. The Sharks were the top seed in the playoffs.
Most of the players will take to the courts with Malibu Volleyball Club, where Saenz is coached, and he looks forward to coaching them both on the club team and in the high school season in 2025.
“They're very athletic and very talented,” Saenz said. “They can pass, they can defend, they can serve. Every player on the court and off the bench can contribute. They have great depth.”
Coach Saenz is confident Malibu can have postseason success next season.
“Remember, we're going to come back,” he told his team. “The hardest part when we lose a game is thinking about all the things we could have done better throughout the year.”
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