MHS remains undefeated in league as it goes for second straight Citrus Coast championship
A group of volleyball coaches from Finland’s national team watched the Malibu High boys volleyball team practice on March 28.
The Scandinavian delegation’s stop at the Malibu High gym was part of their tour throughout the U.S. in which they are shadowing college, club, and high school volleyball coaches, said Sharks head coach Derek Saenz.
“They want to see what they can potentially incorporate into their national team pipeline system,” he said. “They observed and shadowed me. They were super cool people.”
The visit was another high note in a season of several wins for Malibu. The squad had a 14-7 overall record and 6-0 record in the Citrus Coast League heading into their match against league opponent Carpinteria on Tuesday. The Sharks are trying to go undefeated in the league en route to a league championship for the second season in a row.
Malibu, Saenz noted, is a talented group.
“It depends on how hard we work and how consistent we are,” he said. “We’ve had great players in the past, but this season we have backups to every position.”
Malibu was on a three-match winning streak at press time. Their last loss was on March 21 against Granada Hills Charter, Saenz’s alma mater.
Martin Kurial, the Sharks’ 6-foot-5 outside hitter, starred during the 3-0 loss though.
“He put up great numbers in terms of hitting efficiency and blocking,” Saenz said.
The match was the first time Saenz, a former Granada Hills player, had coached against his alma mater. He coached at the school for a few seasons after he graduated high school in 2000 and with Granada Hill’s club team after that. Saenz coached Zoe Fleck, a libero on the U.S. Women’s National Team and professional volleyball player, for a time with the program.
After the match, the Malibu squad and some parents visited Sunberry Acai, a restaurant owned by Fleck’s mother, Eve Fleck. The Sharks dined on acai bowls and Fleck spoke with them about her daughter’s volleyball journey which included winning a national championship with the University of Texas in 2022
Saenz hopes the discussion with Fleck helped the Sharks realize they have all the resources they need to be successful in volleyball.
“It gave them a clear picture,” he said. “I really hope talking with Eve helped take away any type of worry or doubt. They don’t have to worry. They just must go do it.”
Malibu has only lost one set in league. They play the team that won that set, Channel Islands, on Thursday. The Sharks also play in a tournament at Chatsworth before playing Biship Diego on April 10. The squad closes the regular with games against Nordoff, Hueneme, and Venice, one of the top teams in Los Angeles.
Many of Malibu’s players play club volleyball with Venice’s players, so they are looking forward to that matchup before CIF playoffs begin.
“Playing against a team like Venice in front of the playoffs is important,” he said.
