Volleyball: Monarch Using Tourney Performance As Confidence Builder

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Finishing second in the Smoothie King Boys Volleyball Invitational this past weekend at Ransom Everglades was the confidence-booster longtime Monarch coach Walt Drexl was looking for.

With six games remaining until the district tournament, the Knights are picking up a head of steam after knocking off Orlando Dr. Phillips and Timber Creek before losing to defending state champion Bishop Moore in the Gold Bracket final of one of the state's most competitive tournaments.

The field featured seven of the eight teams that qualified for last year's state tournament.

Monarch (14-2) is ranked seventh in the state with a junior-laden team including Drexl's son, Sean, a 5-foot-9 setter named to the All-Tournament team along with Archbishop McCarthy's Nicky Grossman and Mourning's Will Zuluaga.

Other juniors are Kyle Robertson, Aaron Jackson, William Rodriguez, Lucas Neves, Leo Pereira, Kyle Freitas, Jonathan Weber and Tom Popovics. The team's three seniors are Jordan Alfasa, Luiz Padredi and Issac Bertho. Sophomore David Pompeu and freshman Jackson Campbell round out the team.

Bertho is a starter off the soccer team. The remainder of the team is mostly athletes who have been playing since they were freshmen. Padredi and Bertho, a talented jumper, are the team's outside hitters.

In addition to losing to Bishop Moore, the Knights other loss this season was to Miami Ransom Everglades.

"I love to play the tougher teams from around the state," said Drexl, who built the boys program when the school opened in August 2003. The boys' team is one of the athletic program's top teams. As we got to a higher level in the last few years, we decided to get some of these teams on our schedule. I couldn't pass up the Smoothie King Tournament even though the Jungle Queen Tournament, which we usually co-host, was on the same dates."

The Knights won the program's first district and region titles last year and made their state tournament debut. Drexl is hoping to repeat this season.

"I thought the potential was definitely there," Drexl said. "Some of the guys just needed to pick it up and come through. Our strength is we have a lot of solid players."

The Smoothie King tournament was encouraging.

"By far the semifinal against Dr. Phillips was our best game," Drexl said. "It was one of those games where we played well from the beginning and they played really well. No one had more than a three to a four-point lead. It was ultra competitive and we kept hanging on."

Monarch ended up winning 28-30, 25-22, 15-13.

"It was a gigantic confidence booster for those guys," Drexl said. "Even though every day we talk about how we are good and can play teams like this, they had to do it first-hand. I could tell them 1,000 times but it wouldn't matter until they actually went out there and did it. We are right there, we just have to find the consistency at the higher level."

Drexl has enjoyed coaching his son, who has been a leader on and off the court.

"Sean is a terrific setter," Drexl said. "He's worked real hard at setting and is one of the best players in the state. It's interesting coaching your son. He is a great kid. He loves playing the game and has worked tremendously on his game. He is very much a student of the game which makes it tough at times because we sort of butt heads. I treat him like an assistant coach. It's amazing how much we think alike. He knows what's going on in my brain 95 percent of the time. He is a terrific leader, calm and composed."

Archbishop McCarthy won the Silver Bracket title after defeating Timber Creek in the semifinal and Mourning in the final.

Miami Killian won the Bronze Bracket by defeating Tampa Berkeley Prep in the final after beating Coral Reef in the semifinal.

Ransom-Everglades defeated Chaminade-Madonna to win the Copper Bracket despite losing its top hitter Michael Colonna to an injury.

JUNGLE QUEEN TOURNAMENT
at Cardinal Gibbons

Gold Final: Boca Raton defeated John I. Leonard, 21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 25-17;
Consolation: Suncoast defeated Cardinal Gibbons, 15-25, 27-25, 15-10.

Silver Final: Cypress Bay defeated Wellington, 25-18, 25-14; Consolation: St. Brendan defeated Pine Crest, 25-18, 25-27, 15-11.

Bronze Final: West Broward defeated Sunset, 25-18, 25-19; Consolation: Sunset defeated Oxbridge, 25-19, 26-24.

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT SITES
District 9: At St. Thomas Aquinas, April 26, 4:30 p.m.; April 27, 6 p.m.
District 10: At Archbishop McCarthy, April 26, 4 p.m., April 27, 6:30 p.m.
District 11: At Everglades, April 26, 4 p.m., April 28, 6 p.m.
District 12: At Mourning, April 26, 5 p.m., April 28, 7 p.m.
District 13: At Westland Hialeah, April 26, 3 p.m., April 26, 7 p.m.
District 14: At. St. Brendan, April 26, TBA, April 27, TBA
District 15: At Miami Sunset, April 26, TBA, April 28, TBA
District 16: At Miami Killian, April 26, 4 p.m., April 27, 7 p.m.