Mr. Anderson

Mike Sciacca

Matt Anderson remembers a time when he hoped that, one day, he would

play varsity volleyball at Laguna Beach High.

It was four years ago when Anderson, a freshman, played on the

junior varsity team.

“Ever since JV ball, I watched the varsity team and thought to

myself that I really wanted to play at that level,” said the

18-year-old, who will graduate in June. “I was well aware of Laguna’s

volleyball tradition and I wanted to be a part of it. I worked hard

and hoped for the best.”

Anderson’s role that JV year was that of passer. By his own

admission, he said he didn’t know how to spike nor was he a good

jumper.

One thing he could do, though, was pass well.

That same year, the Laguna volleyball program listed Anderson at

“5-feet-7 and 110-pounds,” he recalls.

“I was not big at all, but things changed over the next few

years,” he said.

That’s an understatement.

Anderson’s growth spurt began in the 10th grade and continued into

his junior year, all the while, he was blossoming into a player who

would make a name for himself and fit comfortably in Laguna’s storied

history.

He moved to outside hitter, his current 6-foot-5 frame a force at

that side of the court.

He showed that force in a recent CIF-Southern Section second round

playoff win over Villa Park. He came up with a late set of kills that

helped bring Laguna back from the brink of defeat in game No. 4 of

the match, to a 17-15 victory that clinched the match and sent the

Breakers on to the quarterfinal round.

“Matt was outstanding -- as were all of our players -- down the

stretch,” Laguna coach Curt Hanson said following the Villa Park win.

“His presence really fired up the team and everyone stepped up.”

Anderson can do that: he possesses a will-to-win attitude that

seems contagious on the court.

“We were all fired up,” Laguna setter Nick Aronoff said in regards

to the fourth game of the Villa Park match. “Matt had a couple of

kills, I got one and so did a couple of other guys. It just went from

there. I knew at that point we’d win. We just caught fire.”

Needless to say, Anderson -- as were the rest of his teammates --

was disappointed when top-ranked Valencia ended Laguna’s desire to

add a sixth CIF boys’ volleyball trophy to its case.

The Vikings eliminated the Breakers from Division II contention

following a three-game sweep in quarterfinal round play last Friday.

There was a silver lining in the loss, though.

“The Valencia coach [Dody Garcia] came up to me and my mom after

the match and told us that Laguna was the best team his team had

faced this year,” Anderson said. “Even though we had just lost, that

was a great thing to hear. We did have a pretty good season.”

There was no rest for Anderson, a two-time all-Pacific Coast

League player who led the team in kills with 429 and aces with 45,

and finished among the top three on the team in blocks and digs.

Two days following that loss to Valencia, he was back on the

playing court, practicing with the Balboa Bay Club 18s team.

The team consists of players from such Orange County volleyball

powerhouse schools as Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor and Woodridge.

The 18s team will play in its first tournament on June 20th -- the

day after Anderson will graduate with his fellow senior classmates

and celebrate Grad Night.

“I’m really looking forward to the club season,” he said. “I’m

playing on a club team that has five players over 6-foot-8 and has

some of the best setters in the state. Some of these guys are going

on to play at UC Irvine, Pepperdine and Princeton.”

Anderson is heading somewhere, too: following a turn at the Junior

Olympics in Tucson, Arizona in July, he’ll be enrolled at USC.

He earned a scholarship to play for the Trojans.

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity and can’t wait to go there,”

said Anderson, who said he narrowed his choices between USC and New

York University. “I think playing club ball will help prepare me for

the next level.”

When Anderson looks back on his career, he says that reflection

will take him all the way back to his freshman year.

“It’s great to see where I started and how it all ended up,” he

said. “I was this small kid who couldn’t spike and couldn’t jump. I

just really wanted to play. Now I have the chance to keep on

playing.”