ALL-COUNTY TEAMS AND ATHLETES OF THE YEAR : Taylor Rebounds for a Killer Season : Volleyball: Senior comes back to average 28 kills a match and lead Huntington Beach to the Sunset League title.

HUNTINGTON BEACH —  This isn’t the kind of indoor volleyball Matt Taylor usually plays.

Taylor, whose spikes are a one-way ticket to the hardwood, is rolling the ball . . . with his brother’s dog, Hannibal, in hot pursuit.

The 2-year-old boxer chases the ball through his family’s living room, swatting at it with his paws.

Hannibal, who appears as though he’d rather gnaw off your arm than look at you, is actually a mild-mannered pooch who belongs to Taylor’s older brother, Dan.

During this game, all Hannibal wants to do is kill the ball.

But in most cases, it’s Taylor who’s killing it.

Taylor, a 6-foot-4 senior outside hitter, recovered from an injury-plagued junior season to average 28 kills a match and lead the Huntington Beach High School team to its second Sunset League title in three years.

His play this season has made him The Times Orange County boys’ volleyball player of the year.

Little went wrong for the Oilers this season, except for a disappointing five-game loss to Irvine in the second round of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs.

Taylor led Huntington Beach to the Orange County championship in February. The Oilers enjoyed winning streaks of seven and 10 matches and finished the regular season as the county’s top-ranked team.

“We accomplished a lot this year,” Taylor said. “No one really expected us to do much because Andy Kijewski and I were the only varsity players back from last year.”

Taylor was a unanimous choice for league MVP, and coaches from the top colleges have flocked to his matches. He’s choosing between NCAA champion Cal State Long Beach, runner-up USC and UCLA.

“He’ll make an outstanding college player,” said Huntington Beach Coach Rocky Ciarelli, who played at Cal State Long Beach. “He has some things to learn, because the college game is a lot different. The players are bigger and everyone’s good.”

Taylor’s all-round game appeals to college coaches.

He was at his best late in a match, especially in the fifth and deciding game. His line-drive jump serve was one of the most-feared in the county. Dig one of his spikes? Better be ready for some sore arms.

“I’ve been coaching 10 years, and the only other players I’ve seen that are as good as Matt are (Newport Harbor’s) Hugh Foster and (Laguna Beach’s) Dain Blanton,” Ciarelli said. “Matt’s so far ahead of most high school kids.

“He won’t come in and be an impact player right away in college, but he’ll be great by his junior and senior years. And he’s big enough where could go to the Olympic team down the road.”

Taylor, a three-year member of the varsity, rebounded from a frustrating junior year in which he underwent hernia surgery midway through league play.

A part-time starter on the basketball team as a junior, Taylor sat out his senior season to concentrate on his conditioning for volleyball.

He said a combination of weightlifting, sprints and playing volleyball brought him back to full strength.

“The thing I like about Matt is that he’s a good kid and a hard worker,” Ciarelli said. “He could have been a guy who sloughed off and dogged it. It has been a pleasure to be around him.”

Taylor needed the extra conditioning because the Oilers played in one of the toughest leagues in Southern California.

He helped Huntington Beach rally from two-game deficits three times--twice against Marina and once against Edison. He averaged 39 kills in the three matches.

Each match against Marina lasted five games and 2 1/2 hours. The Edison match, also five games, went nearly three hours.

After winning the league title, Huntington Beach was seeded second in the playoffs behind San Marcos. But the Oilers slipped in the second round, blowing a 14-12 lead against Irvine in the fifth game.

“That was very frustrating,” Taylor said.

He can take out those frustrations when he plays club ball this summer.

His club team, Rip It Up, has a good chance of winning the 18-and-under championship at the Junior Olympics in July.

A gold medal. That’s something Taylor will kill the ball for.

The Times’ All-County Volleyball

FIRST TEAM

Player School Yr. Position Todd Beebe Woodbridge Sr. Outside hitter Russell Gan Newport Harbor Jr. Setter Greg Gratteau Marina Sr. Setter Joe McCarthy Edison Jr. Outside hitter Matt Taylor Huntington Beach Sr. Outside hitter Dennis Winners Marina Sr. Outside hitter

Player Comment Todd Beebe Signed with Pepperdine. Russell Gan Led Sailors to 4-A finals. Greg Gratteau Led Marina to 4-A quarterfinals. Joe McCarthy One of county’s top juniors. Matt Taylor County’s dominant player. Dennis Winners Led team to two tournament titles.

SECOND TEAM

Player School Yr. Position Jason Galeener Esperanza Sr. Outside hitter Brian Godshaw Capistrano Valley Sr. Middle blocker Andy Kijewski Huntington Beach Sr. Middle blocker Justin McIntee Newport Harbor Jr. Middle blocker John Mull Marina Sr. Middle blocker Eric Olson Capistrano Valley Sr. Setter

Player Comment Jason Galeener Led Aztecs to first Empire League title. Brian Godshaw Led Cougars to South Coast title. Andy Kijewski First team all-Sunset League. Justin McIntee First team all-Sea View League. John Mull First team all-Sunset League. Eric Olson South Coast League’s MVP.

Honorable mention: Travis Barr (Dana Hills), Ryan Benn (Capistrano Valley), Adam Bowermaster (Huntington Beach), Zolti Csanyi (University), Troy Davis (Garden Grove), Doug Finnell (Valencia), Matt Fuerbringer (Estancia), Nate Haugh (Woodbridge), Mike Hernandez (Calvary Chapel), Doug Hesse (Corona del Mar), Vance Hickin (Capistrano Valley), Dan Melia (Valencia), Krister Olsson (Woodbridge), Chris Pitzak (Esperanza), Ryan Rauch (Woodbridge), Alex Ripley (Santiago), Chris Seale (Laguna Beach), Brant Shelor (Marina), Josh Snyder (Edison), Aaron Sohegian (Whittier Christian), Chris Swanner (Irvine), Brian Trout (Irvine), Noa Utu (Santiago), Martin Wagner (University).