Boys Volleyball

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - New Cordova boys varsity volleyball head coach Valeriy Khramtsov is ready, willing, and eager to make an impact on the program in his first season at the helm.

Khramtsov, whose previous experience includes coaching youth soccer and being a certified personal trainer, is a graduate of Cordova High (Class of 2015) and said that returning to his alma mater as a coach is something he's always wanted.

"It's been a dream of mine to coach at the school because I went to that school," Khramtsov said. "It's a dream come true. I'm really excited."

Although he didn't play volleyball at Cordova (the program started the year after he graduated), Khramstov has participated in the sport since his youth and is ecstatic about taking over the program. With what he describes as an inexperienced roster, he has been very pleased with what he has seen thus far as he begins to make his mark on the team.

"For a team that has little team chemistry, they are showing a lot of great potential and are working hard," he said. "They are some of the quickest learners I've seen in my experience as a coach. They have a ton of potential and the ability to improve, they just need to get to know each other better."

Key contributors this season figure to include juniors Marius Culibaba and Brian Apaso, along with sophomore Simon Larcheveque.

With a relatively young team and being in his first year with the program, Khramstov knows that this season will provide a steep learning curve for a group just starting to get their feet wet in the game of volleyball. But in looking ahead, the coach feels that positive results are not too far off.

"Since we have a lot of players that are going to be playing next year, I want to establish the foundational base of skills that they are going to need," he said. "Right now they're still learning the basics of volleyball. I believe that this season is going to function as a preparatory season for next year. I think next season is going to be incredible."

The Lancers will not take to the court again until Tuesday, March 17, when they host Johnson in the Greater Sacramento League opener. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. inside the new Cordova gym.

Boys Tennis

Rancho Cordova, CA (MPG) - Spring cleaning is certainly a theme for many people as the weather gets warmer. It's a chance to clear out clutter and start anew.

For Cordova boys varsity tennis coach Jeff Pieczynski, the coming weeks will provide his team its own version of spring cleaning as they embark on a new season with a group full of new young talent.

With just three returning players from a year ago, Pieczynski will have his hands full with nine brand new players on his roster. However, that isn't necessarily a bad thing, noting the crop of new players have been extremely engaged and willing to learn.

"Because these kids are so coachable, it makes it that much more exciting," he said. "They are so excited about wanting to learn, so I'm excited from that standpoint."

Of course, Pieczynski has a trio of returning seniors he will rely heavily upon this season in fourth year player Gevork Khachatouryan, third year player Bryan Vigil, and second year player Jevon Bernardes. Khachatouryan, the Lancers' number one player, is expected to perform well individually within Greater Sacramento League play later this spring.

Key newcomers will include freshmen Kian Santos and Sean Trinh, who Pieczynski noted as being two players that are neck-and-neck in the lineup order and regularly push each other to perform in practice and in games early on this season.

With this year bringing so many new players into the program, Pieczynski isn't as worried about wins and losses as he is building a proper foundation and instilling the love of the game into his young players.

"I would like to have my singles players all play in competitive matches this year," he said. "I want to see these kids make progress and fuel their fire for their love of the game of tennis."

As he looks to continue building up the program, Pieczynski hopes to have a summer program in place for players that want to continue to improve as well. More details will be provided in the coming months.