POWER BLAST—Thousand Oaks High’s Matt Hall crushes a kill during Monday’s practice session. JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers Expect more good things from local high school boys’ volleyball teams.

Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and defending section champion Westlake are all in the mix for playoff berths out of the Marmonte League.

Oaks Christian, meanwhile, wants to contend with rival Oak Park for Tri-Valley League supremacy.

Here is a closer look at how the teams are doing at midseason:

Newbury Park Panthers

The Panthers just missed qualifying for the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs last year, nabbing fifth in the Marmonte.

That’s still quite an accomplishment, since three of the final four teams from the 2009 section postseason—Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Royal—hail from the Marmonte.

This season, Newbury Park, which started 4-2 in league matches entering the week, is soaring with veteran leadership and a plethora of imposing frontrow giants.

Twelve of 15 Panthers are seniors, and the team has a gradepoint average close to 4.0.

“I’m blessed with excellent young men,” said head coach Jorge Ostrovsky, now in his 11th season guiding Newbury Park.

“I have no problems. No headaches whatsoever.”

Stephen Santos controls the middle offensively with his high hitting percentage and with blocks on defense. The 6-foot-5 senior middle blocker has a hitting percentage above .500 most games, the coach said.

Matt Jeske, a 6-foot-4 opposite, is another valuable asset.

Ostrovsky said Santos and Jeske contribute roughly 75 percent of the offense. For instance, Jeske had 23 kills and seven blocks in a win against Agoura last weekend.

Kevin Alvarez is a four-year varsity starter. Alvarez mans libero, setting teammates up with steady passes.

Vaughn Wellenreiter, who stands 6-foot-6, grew 3 inches in eight weeks by Ostrovsky’s estimation, and he’s a menace at middle blocker.

“He has great upside for the future,” Ostrovsky said of the junior Wellenreiter. “He’s catching up to his body physically, coordination wise.”

John Ramirez, a senior, stands out as a defensive specialist. Ramirez, a three-year starter, is an excellent server, the coach said.

Andrew Comeaux, a 6-foot-4 middle blocker, is a hardworking player who contributes offensively and defensively.

Matt Bonfiglio and Alex Ostrovsky share playing time at setter. Outside hitter Harrison Ang gets plenty of kills.

“I’m hoping we can keep playing well and progressing toward the end of the season and into the playoffs,” the coach said.

Thousand Oaks Lancers

Thousand Oaks boasts a diverse offense with high-flying athletes who can practically jump out of the gym.

Third-year head coach Andrew Vazquez said the Lancers, who reached the section semifinals, are only going to get better.

“This is the best team I’ve had in three years,” Vazquez said. “We’re going to mature as usual right around the CIF playoffs.”

The coach hopes TOHS can reach the finals this season.

“That’s always the goal at Thousand Oaks,” Vazquez said.

Austin Kingi is a standout junior outside hitter. The coach raved about Kingi’s volleyball I.Q. and court savvy.

Ryan Hay is another junior outside hitter who’s been a pleasant surprise for the Lancers, who started 5-1 in Marmonte matches.

Sophomore setter Jonah Seif is a cerebral player who focuses on the mental and physical aspects of volleyball. Craig Galeria also contributes at setter.

Junior middle blockers Matt Hall and Jason Avina are some of the best athletes on the team. They take advantage of their quickness to keep the ball moving.

Scott Hendrickson, a junior opposite, uses his left-handed hitting prowess to earn points. Vazquez described Hendrickson as an explosive player who uses his power for sharp-angled strikes.

Seth Nickolaisen, Ian Parson, Andrew Jacocks, Preston McElroy and Cody Franklin also contribute for Thousand Oaks.

“We’ve solidified our starting rotation, and now we’re looking for more court time so we can get more comfortable and experience with the guys on the floor,” said Vazquez, who also runs Elite Volleyball Club for boys and girls.

“This is a fantastic group of kids.”

Westlake Warriors

The defending section champions are back with a fury.

Westlake started 6-0 in Marmonte action and is the consensus favorite among other coaches to retain the league title.

Head coach Doug Magorien still said there’s plenty of room to improve.

“We definitely have some things to work on, like building character,” he said. “Players have new leadership roles.”

Setter Travis Magorien and outside hitter Keats Stanley both play pivotal roles for the Warriors.

Team captain Magorien efficiently feeds the ball to multiple hitters, looking for advantages and keeping defenses on edge.

The 6-foot-6 Stanley is a dynamic attacker.

“He’s one of the best outside hitters in our league,” the coach said of Stanley. “He hits the ball so high and so hard, it’s very difficult to stop.”

Adrian Powditch, who played basketball in the winter, also starts at outside hitter. He is a strong passer who works well in the front or back rows.

Outside hitter Taylor Tattersall and middle blocker Jonathan Christie are sophomores who play important roles.

Sophomore Marshall Schachtel has started at libero since senior Nic Weaver went down with an injured ankle from snowboarding. Weaver could return in the next few weeks, but Schachtel is playing well in the senior’s absence.

Kirk Jones, another basketball player, is playing volleyball for the first time in high school.

Jones contributes because of his athleticism, solid footwork and strong work ethic. Jones and Weaver are the team’s only seniors.

Matt Litchfield is a revelation at opposite and outside hitter. Litchfield picks up the offense with his aggressive, attacking style.

Jacob Delson, Dimitri Gorenc, Emile Nelson, James Anderson, Matt Ferrin and Roger Gaulke provide depth.

Magorien, now in his sixth season guiding Westlake, hopes his players continue maturing.

The coach said the Warriors have an urgency to win a section title this year since there’s a strong possibility that the Marmonte League will be bumped up to Division 1 within the next two years.

Oaks Christian Lions

The Lions will try and wrest the TVL title back from Oak Park.

“I like how we’re playing as a team,” head coach George Hees said. “Everyone’s trying to work together to win some games and play some good volleyball.

“They’re not worried so much about individual stats.”

Oaks Christian entered the week 4-2 overall and 2-0 in league matches.

Hees likes the Lions’ passing and on-court balance.

Outside hitters Carter Franciskovic and Kevin Schoch provide plenty of offensive punch.

Franciskovic, a junior, is an all-around star with a deft passing touch.

The senior Schoch is a consistent, reliable presence.

Tim Gerlach, a senior outside hitter, also has played well. Franciskovic, Schoch and Gerlach share captaincy roles.

Freshman setter Jennings Franciskovic is a solid pickup.

“He’s very passionate about the game,” Hees said of the younger Franciskovic. “He’s a gym rat. He loves to play, he loves to practice. He’s already improved a lot from the beginning of the year.”

Senior Stephen Saksa, a 6-foot-7 middle blocker from the basketball squad, is playing well, Hees said.

Sophomore Kyle Schoch has earned time at outside hitter.

Defensive specialists Kyle Sisson and Tyler Caldwell and outside hitter Derrick Sokol round out the nine-man roster.

Hees hopes the Lions will contend for a Division 3 banner.

“I enjoy this group a lot,” the seventh-year coach said. “They work hard. We’ve been doing a lot of conditioning.

“They want to improve and they want to push each other and themselves to grow. It’s been fun working with them.”