VOLLEYBALL NOTEBOOK: O.C.'S SEASON SPECIAL.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

Nobody is presumptuous enough to predict a perfect season, but it didn't take the Oaks Christian of Westlake Village boys' volleyball team long to figure out a special season might be in store.

The Lions (16-0), a Southern Section Div. IV team, won the Ventura tournament championship this year by beating several Div. II and III teams. That success set the stage for Oaks Christian's perfect season, one it hopes ends with the Div. IV championship.

``That definitely helped us because it really gave us a confidence boost,'' Oaks Christian coach George Hees said. ``By beating ranked teams in higher divisions, we found out we can play at a pretty high level.''

Three players have stood out for the Lions - setter Brandon Denham and outside hitters Kevin McClure and Alex Walker.

With another round of Frontier League matches and the Crescenta Valley tournament remaining in the regular season, the Lions will focus on the postseason. If Oaks Christian remains unbeaten, it will enter the playoffs as the top seed.

``The goal is to get better every time we step on the court,'' Hees said. ``We want to get better and stronger mentally. We want to be ready for the playoffs.''

--Setting goals: Highland of Palmdale is 10-0 after getting a forfeit win against Canyon, which used an ineligible player.

Highland's success is beginning to draw attention to setter Kyle Luongo, who controls matches with his clever passing and impeccable decision making.

``It feels good that people say nice things like that,'' Luongo said. ``I have a lot of goals for myself and my team, so it means we're doing a good job.''

--Crowded at the top: After beating Simi Valley Friday, Westlake (6-2 in league) drew closer to the Pioneers (7-1) and Thousand Oaks (6-1) in the Marmonte League race.

No one is surprised about the log jam up top.

``That's what you get in the Marmonte League,'' Simi Valley coach Peter Piexoto said. ``And with (three) great teams, the team that wins is the team that executes consistently. There's no margin for error.''

Westlake, which got back Joe Zuziak last week from a rotator cuff injury, split its two matches against Simi Valley and hopes to avenge an earlier loss to Thousand Oaks on the road next Wednesday.

Zuziak, who had 18 kills Friday against Simi Valley, did not play in the loss to Thousand Oaks.

Vincent Bonsignore, [phone]

vincent.bonsignore(at)dailynews.com