Talented trio hopes to lead the Lancers to playoff glory

By Kyle Jorrey jorrey@theacorn.com

TRIPLE THREAT-Opposite Cole Reinholm, setter Trevor Neff and outside hitter Jason Spangler anchor a Thousand Oaks boys' volleyball team that won the Marmonte League title outright for the first time in program history. All three are juniors, and all three are out to see T.O. earn respect in the Div. I playoffs.

Don’t expect Thousand Oaks teammates and juniors Trevor Neff, Cole Reinholm and Jason Spangler to dwell too long on their seeding in the California Interscholastic Federation’s Div. I volleyball playoff bracket. After all, these members of the Lancers’ Marmonte League title-winning team and their coach know that respect isn’t simply given—it’s earned.

"I think we’re pumped up because we know we’ve got something to prove. All the teams in this league do," junior setter Trevor Neff said. "How we do (in the playoffs) is huge because we know our school doesn’t have a reputation of being a powerhouse in volleyball, we’re always overlooked by the teams like Simi, Royal and Westlake. But we want to prove we can play with some of these teams that have the tradition . . . and if we get a couple wins under our belts, it will just be an eye opener to everybody else."

The Lancers were one of four No. 1 seeds out of nine not granted a first-round bye. They kick off postseason action tomorrow at home against St. Francis, a team that earned one of three at-large bids.

"I think we’re a better team than where we got seeded, but that’s for us to prove," head coach Yariv Lerner said. "It would be nice to have first-round bye, but CIF decided on which teams they thought were the best and which had the strongest leagues. We haven’t really gotten much press or notoriety, but it’s our job to prove we deserve it."

If the Lancers are going to do so, Neff, Reinholm and Spangler must keep up their stellar play, along with the rest of T.O.’s strong supporting cast—guys such as Trevor Snyder, Sean Taxter and Bryce Furlong.

Neff, who emerged this season as one of the league’s premier setters, is a Thousand Oaks native who followed his older brother’s path into the ranks of T.O.’s volleyball elite. Also a setter, Chip Neff, played for the Lancers in the late ‘90s; he’s now a member of the BYU Cougars but is currently away on his Mormon mission.

"It really helped me a lot just getting to play with my brother in the backyard. He was always giving me pointers," Trevor said. "It was like this bond we had. He was like my mini-coach."

As a California kid, Neff also enjoyed the experience of playing on the beach.

"We’re kind of a beach family," Neff said. "We we’re always there playing volleyball or watching the pros."

His knowledge of the game is apparent, just ask long-time teammate Reinholm, who first started playing alongside the setter when they were in the fifth grade.

"I’ve been playing with Trevor for my whole volleyball career," Reinholm said. "He just has this sense about the game. He’s always had it. He doesn’t get in situations where he doesn’t know what to do."

Reinholm, the Lancers’ starting opposite, has earned a reputation as the go-to-guy on critical points, evidenced by his late-game performances against Simi and Westlake in two five-set thrillers. He’s one of those rare kids who seems impervious to pressure, always keeping his focus on the job at hand.

"We look for certain guys on certain plays, and when the game is tight, we’re going to look to (Cole)," Lerner said.

Spangler, one of the Lancers’ more vocal and excitable players, said Reinholm is all business on the court.

"He’s very controlled. He doesn’t like to celebrate outwardly," Spangler said. "He just always looks like he’s never satisfied. But maybe that’s what makes him so good."

While the majority of the T.O. players have known each other since before high school, Spangler is the relatively new face in the bunch. Arriving two years ago from Flemington, N.J., this outside hitter quickly found a home on the Lancers’ squad, where his raw talent and natural abilities were harnessed to make him one of Marmonte’s most dangerous hitters.

"He’s a terrific leaper who comes up with a lot of dynamic plays," Lerner said. "I think he’s fit in here so well because he’s just a likeable guy. He’s easy to get along with."

Having moved several times in his childhood, Spangler was overjoyed when he found he was coming to Southern California for his final three years of high school. Though he had only played organized volleyball for one full season, Spangler quickly found himself on T.O.’s starting lineup as a sophomore, alongside Neff and Reinholm.

After a going through the regular bumps and bruises of being a young team last year, this trio returned intact to help lead the Lancers to their first outright Marmonte League title in school history—they last shared the title in 1994.

"I really felt great to be a part of the team that finally got sole possession of Marmonte, but now winning CIF would make us even happier," Reinholm said. "That’s what were shooting for next."

Neff said winning Marmonte was a big part of shooting down any early-season T.O. naysayers.

"It might have been a shock to everybody else, but I know it wasn’t to me," Neff said. "I think in all our hearts we just knew were going to take league."

Simi Valley and Westlake, both rated higher than T.O. in early season polls, finished second and third behind T.O. respectively.

With the playoffs just over the horizon, Neff said he doesn’t feel he and rest of the Lancers have reached their peak.

"I see it in practice. We’re getting better and better everyday," he said. "I don’t think we are even close to hitting our plateau."

If they hope to equal the accomplishments of last year’s Westlake Warrior team and reach the finals, T.O. will have to knock off traditional powerhouses Redondo Union and Loyola to get there. Loyola has won eight Southern Section titles, including last year over Westlake.

Lerner said he isn’t concerned about his group’s lack of playoff minutes, thanks to the Lancers’ tough schedule and their experience in pressure-packed matches. He said he’s also not concerned about any intimidation factor.

"A lot of the guys on the team have played competitive club volleyball for awhile, so they know what it’s like to play against the highest level of competition," Lerner said. "They’re not going to be intimidated. They know if they come out and play their game and do what they’ve been doing, things will take of themselves."

On a side note, Reinholm was recently selected to the USA Youth National Team, made up of the country’s best players under the age of 18. As one of 24 players selected, Reinholm must survive one more tryout that will cut the team down to 12 players that make the traveling squad.

The team will compete in World Championship events all around the globe.