2 FROM ROYAL HIGH VOLLEYBALL TEAM PUT ON TOP PLAYERS' LIST : SENIOR, JUNIOR MAKE DIVISION I SOUTHERN RANKS.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer Royal High School boys volleyball standouts Joe Olsen and John Baxter have been cited as two of the best 24 Division I Southern Section players. Olsen, a senior middle hitter who will play next year at Brigham Young University Brigham Young University, at Provo, Utah; Latter-Day Saints; coeducational; opened as an academy in 1875 and became a university in 1903. It is noted for its law and business schools. , was selected to the Division I first team while Baxter, a junior setter setter: see sporting dog. setter Any of three breeds derived from a medieval hunting dog that would set (lie down) when it found birds so that it and the birds could be covered with a net. Setters have long hair on the ears, chest, legs, and tail. , was named to the third team. In Division III
Division III (or DIII) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States. play, Moorpark setter Orlando Orta was named to the second team. Olsen's honor was no surprise considering the type of season and career he's had at Royal, a school that has dominated area volleyball since the 1980s. Having played on the varsity team In the United States and Canada and UK, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, or high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of since his sophomore year, Olsen is the latest in a long line of outstanding volleyball players This is a list of top international volleyball players. : Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A
``It's quite an honor to be selected to the Division I first team, because there are so many good volleyball players in this area,'' said Royal coach Bob Ferguson. ``And Joe has definitely earned the honor.'' What makes Olsen's success more impressive is that he played out of position for the Highlanders. His physical makeup indicates that he is better suited to play outside hitter, his projected position at BYU BYU Brigham Young University BYU Bayou BYU Bob's Your Uncle BYU Bayreuth, Germany - Bindlacher Berg (Airport Code) BYU Beyond Your Understanding . But since Royal had a hole in the middle, Ferguson asked Olsen to slide over to middle hitter to close it. ``There's no doubt that Joe is destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. to play outside hitter,'' Ferguson said. ``But we needed him to play in the middle this year, and he did it to help the team.'' Even from the middle, Olsen was the Highlanders' top offensive player. His strength and jumping ability make him a force. ``The guy is just chiseled chis·eled or chis·elled adj. Made or shaped with or as if with a chisel: a finely chiseled nose. Adj. 1. ,'' Ferguson said. ``It looks like he's been carved carve v. carved, carv·ing, carves v.tr. 1. a. To divide into pieces by cutting; slice: carved a roast. b. out of marble.'' Olsen displayed moments of brilliance in his sophomore year. And by the time he showed up for his junior year, it was obvious he was ready to become a star. ``He dedicated himself that summer to working hard and getting stronger,'' Ferguson recalled. Olsen put together a spectacular senior season despite suffering a major ankle injury midway through the year. He played on and led the Highlanders in kills in three Southern Section playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. matches. Ferguson attributes the success to Olsen's ability to step up in big games. ``I think when you play important matches as a team you start to depend on your big guns, and Joe was certainly that type of player for us,'' Olsen said. ``He saw the ball a lot in those games and played well despite not being 100 percent healthy.'' Baxter was a big key to the success of Olsen and the rest of the team, especially on the offensive end. It was his responsibility to trigger the Highlanders' complicated offense and help his teammates shine. Baxter spent a considerable amount of time putting in extra practice with Royal assistant coach Travis Ferguson, Bob's son and a former setter at Royal. ``There's no doubt that the extra work paid off,'' Ferguson said. He was especially impressed with Baxter's grasp of the offense, which was a change from his sophomore year, when Ferguson sensed that Baxter wasn't entirely comfortable. ``Last year, I'd be on the bench thinking what did you do that for?'' Ferguson said. ``But this year it was completely different. It was like having another coach on the floor.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Joe Olsen, a middle hitter for the Highlanders, will go to Brigham Young University. Tom Mendoza/Daily News |
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