Corey Chavers, the high flying outside hitter, has returned to the OC Stunners for the 2021 season. Corey Chavers is known for his freak athleticism and powerful attacking ability which was put on showcase in the finals of the NVA Tournament held in Utah in November. Corey has already had a very impressive career as a volleyball player. He started off at University of California, Santa Barbara, where his senior year he was chosen as part of the All Big West team. Corey then did a summer with USA volleyball where he played outside hitter in the NORCECA event held in Colorado. Corey then went on to play for Blu Volley Verona in Italy before Covid brought him home. His most recent venture was in Sweden with Falkenberg VBK, although he came in halfway through the season, he was a dominant force on the court and led his team to the finals where he ultimately fell to Halmstade VBK, who was the leader in points all year. Corey said that in Sweden he had a very young team, so it required him to step up as leader and role model for the young volleyball players who looked up to the U.S National Team prospect. Look for Corey Chavers this summer making a huge impact for the OC Stunners, as he believes his best volleyball is to be played this summer.

Southern Exposure Stuns and Sweeps Stunners

Stunners had to make a last minute lineup change because their starting Libero, Jake Hurwitz, had to work. The Stunners assigned OH Matt Hilling to play Libero and inserted rookie OH Antonio Aguizola to play OH. Despite their best efforts the new lineup didn’t fare well for the Stunners in the first two sets. In the third set Hilling and Aguizola changed positions. But like the first two sets the Stunners never got into a good offensive rhythm, which resulted in many hitting errors and gave Southern Exposure free points. 

Stunners made several valiant efforts in each set to launch a rally but each time late in the sets they fell short due to hitting errors. OPP Jair Sanchez Santiago had a leading 16 kills, Joey Jarvis 8 kills and middle blockers Nick Amado and Kevin Gear each had 2 kills. Hilling had two kills but they came in the third set. Overall the Stunners hit a dismal 36%.

Southern Exposure was led by a well balanced offense. Setter Derek Sullivan utilized all his attackers. OH Kevin Rocklein led the team with 8 kills and OH Jakeb Ciesla, and MB Payne Langston each had 5 kills. And Sullivan also had 5 kills. Southern Exposures’ blocks, which occurred at crucial points late in the sets also helped in their win. Southern Exposure had a total of nine blocks,  Ciesla with 4, Rocklein 3, Girshfeld and Langston 1. Although Southern Exposure’s hitting percentage was less than the Stunners at 36%, they scored points and sided out at pivotal moments in the match that hampered the Stunners ability to make a comeback. And the Stunners didn’t help their cause with a multitude of hitting and service errors. All three sets won by Southern Exposure ended on Stunners’ hitting errors. The final scores were 25-23, 25-20 and 25-22.

Tyrants’ Steady, Tenacious Defensive Contributed to Win Against Stunners

Stunners Libero Jake Hurtwitz joined the team, which made Matt Hilling available to play OH. The other lineup change was Nick West at MB. The Tyrants also made a lineup change from Friday’s match and started Anthony Robinson at OH and Ryan Maune at MB. 

Stunners’ setter Spence Andrews didn’t waste any time setting Hilling for the first kill, followed with kills by Nick West, Joey Jarvis. Tyrants countered with kills by Austin Lovett, Tim Johnson and Robinson to keep the score close. At 13-13 Hilling had a run of three kills and the Tyrants answered back with a series of blocks by Johnson, Maune and Robinson to keep the score tied. But a run of three kills by Jarvis gave the Stunners a three point lead at 21-18. Good Tyrants’ defense and kills by Johnson and Lovett tied the score at 21-21 and then Tyrants took the lead on a kill by Lovett 22-21. A kill by Hilling tied the set and started a service run that began with a Tyrant overpass and kill by Jarvis that gave the Stunners a 24-22 lead. Johnson followed with a kill to 24-23. And Jarvis won a joust to win the set for the Stunners 25-23.

In set two Javier Santiago started hot with 2 consecutive kills followed by a Nick Amado ace. Tyrants countered with a Grasso kill, block by setter Derrick Sullivan and two consecutive kills and a block by Tim Johnson. Andrews set Hilling for two consecutive kills. And after a West ace the Stunners had a three point lead at 11-8. Tyrants came back with kills by Robinson and Johnson and a block by Sullivan and tied the score at 14-14.  The rest of the set turned into a slugfest with a Stunner run of kills by Hilling and Santiago. Tyrants answered with kills by Grasso, Robinson and Johnson to take the lead 24-22. Santiago followed with two service aces to tie 24-24. But the Tyrants sided-out on a Johnson kill and then won the set on a transition play and tip kill by Johnson. 

Despite the tough second set lost the Stunners came out firing. Andrews decided to feed his outside hitters first.  Hilling, Santiago and Jarvis. Tyrants’ setter started his offense with Johnson and Grasso and Robinson added a block to take the lead 8-7. In the next nine Stunner possessions, Hilling had six of the kills and one each from Santiago, Jarvis and Amado. On the other side of the court Johnson, Robinson and Grasso had 2 kills each; and OH Daniel Jacobs and Maune each had a kill. With Stunners ahead 15-14 Nick West had two consecutive blocks and an ace to give the Stunners a 24-20 lead. Like the last set the Stunners struggled to side out and Tyrants took full advantage and tied the score with a Robinson kill and block; and a Johnson kill and Maune block. Amado and Hilling answered with one kill each and tied the score at 27-27. The Tyrants won on the next two points on a Grasso kill and block 29-27. 

Both teams sided out well in the beginning of the fourth set. Stunners scored with 4 kills by Hilling, and one kill by Jarvis and a block by West. Tyrants answered with two kills by Grasso and one each by Robinson and Lovett led to a 6-6 tie. At 10-10 the Tyrants took a three point lead with a block by Maune and kills by Grasso and Johnson. The Stunners countered with two Hilling kills, one West kill and block by Santiago to tie the score 16-16. But the Tyrants’ defense gave their offense opportunities to build a three point lead at 21-18. The Stunners only scored one more point and the Tyrants closed out the match with a kill by Daniel Jacobs, ace by Maune, block by Grasso and  the match ended on a Stunners’ net call 25-19.

In the loss Hilling led in kills with 22, Santiago 12 and Jarvis 9. The Stunners hit 39%. For the Tyrants Johnson and Grasso tied with 18 kills each and Robinson added 6 kills and the Tyrants hit 45%. 

Team Freedom’s Consistent Play Trumps Stunners’ Creative Lineup Change

Stunners’ setter Spencer Andrews injured his groin on the last point of the match against the Tyrants on Saturday so Matt Hilling, one of the rare versatile volleyball players played setter. It was the third different position Hilling played in this weekend’s NVA Event. In the other two matches he played Libero and OH. The Stunners also started four middle blockers, two of whom played different positions. Nick Amado at OH and Nick West OPP. Antonio Anguizola played the other OH and Shayne Beamer and Kevin Gear at middle blockers. The strategy behind this creative lineup was to rely mostly on big hitters and blocks rather than digging and covering defense. 

The Stunners’ creative big men line up claimed an early lead with a kill by West and one block each by Gear and Beamer and a dump by Hilling to 8-7. Team Freedoms’ points came from kills by Joe Norman, Christopher Nugent and Christoper Vaughn. At 12-12 Amado sprained his ankle and Stunners substituted him with Joey Jarvis. The Stunners hitters struggled to find the court and Team Freedom took the lead on a Norman and Matt Seifert block to 16-13. A string of Team Freedom errors and kills by Stunners’ Jarvis, West, Beamer and Anguizola tied the set at 20-20. But the Stunners’ hitters again struggled to hit balls inside the lines and Team Freedom closed out the set with kills by Vaughn and Norman and won 25-23. 

In set two five Stunners’ hitting errors gave Team Freedom an early 8-4 lead. During this run, Stunner’s only two scores were a kill and block by Jarvis. For Team Freedom Seifert and Norman each had one kill. At 11-5 Stunners substituted Chris Chapell’e for Anguizola. Errors continued to plague the Stunners and Team Freedom added to their lead with kills by Norman, Nugent and Seifert; and Vaughn with an ace and Seifert a block to 16-8. At 18-11 Stunners substituted Dillion Emery for West. Despite a kill by Jarvis and a Hilling block, Team Freedom added two more points to their lead at 22-12 on kills by middle blocker Mikheil Hoyte and Norman. But the Stunners didn’t give up. Emery scored four of the next five kills, Jarvis added and kill and Chappelle’s kill and service ace cut the lead to 24-20. But Team Freedom sided-out on a Seifert kill and won the set 25-20. 

While Stunners started off hot in the third set with kills by Emery and two service aces by Chapelle and West, Team Freedom struggled to pass the ball. But Stunners’s errors and two kills by Vaughn before the first media timeout gave Team Freedom a two point lead before the first media timeout at 8-6. Stunners bounced back with consecutive kills by Jarvis, kill by Chapelle and block by West to tie the set at 10-10. Team Freedom took a two point lead after a Nugent and Norman kill to 12-10. Both teams sided out with kills by West and Jarvis for Stunners; and Norman, Seifert, Vaughn kills and two blocks by Vaughn and Hoyte for Team Freedom. At 18-17 a dig by Libero Jake Hurwitz forced a hitting error by Team Freedom and tied the set at 18-18. Then a set dump by Norman found a hole in the Stunners’ defense that deflated their efforts for a comeback. Team Freedom followed with a block from Hoyte and kill by Norman and took a 21-18 lead. After Stunners called a timeout, Jarvis scored on a kill to 21-19. Stunners struggled to side-out and Team Freedom scored the next three points with kills by Hoyte, Norman and Nugent to 24-19. After Stunners called their second timeout, Emery hit the ball out that gave Team Freedom a 25-19 win for the match.

Jarvis led the Stunners with 8 kills, West 6, Anguizola 5 and Emery 4. Stunners had 9 blocks and hit 32%. For Team Freedom Joe Norman had 17 kills, Vaughn 9, Nugent 8 and Hoyte and Seifert 4 each. Team Freedom had 7 blocks and hit 49%. 

Team Freedom finished the weekend with a 3-0 record and Stunners 0-3. 

With the overseas season well underway, the NVA and the Stunners in particular took some time recently to check in on one of it’s players in Europe. That marquee player is Louis Richards who is currently pursuing a professional career in Denmark. Louis Richards is a 6’4 Outside Hitter, who, for what he lacks in size, makes up for with his big-league arm and explosive ability to elevate. We were able to set up an interview with him on how he is adjusting to life and volleyball in Denmark.

Q: So how has the season been so far? How does the team look?

Louis: We don’t officially start league play until the 16th, but we have been training together for sometime now, and we have our first cup game this Sunday. Our roster is fairly new, we have a lot of guys coming from different volleyball backgrounds, but we are still growing together and getting closer to where we want to be. I think we will be good enough to do something special this season.

2) Are you adjusting well to life out there? What’s been your favorite food so far?

Life here is a little different than what I am used to, but it’s a welcomed change. I think that most pros that go overseas to play also want to experience a new culture and way of life. So for me it was something that I was looking forward to.

Unfortunately I haven’t tried anything new or any authentic Danish foods, but then again half off groceries is a part of my deal so I’ve been doing a lot of at-home cooking.

3) How is the competition? Are you excited for the tournament this weekend?

I think the competition is good, we played some scrimmage matches and they were close games. I think this was a great place for me to begin my overseas pro career, and I am looking forward to every opportunity I have to compete this season.

4) What aspects of your game have you been working on?

Creativity, trying to expand my range and having the confidence to do so. I think this is good for me, because it’s a challenge against myself and it’s another way for me to get one or two percent better.

Quarantine is an odd time for almost everyone, to be told to take a break from your everyday life and at the same time to find a way to break the cycles of boredom that develops over time. So, during the quarantine we caught up with some of our Stunners to see what they have been doing to keep themselves healthy, entertained, and in a good mental space while a pandemic ravaged around the country. The first person we caught up with Nick Amado, who was able to leave Spain in the middle of March to escape a serious government lockdown. The first question we asked him was what did you do to make sure you were able to stay in shape during the quarantine? He responded with “Well, when I got back from Spain it was right after everything was becoming locked down in the U.S, so essentially I went from one lockdown to another.” The next thing we wanted to know was, how does an aspiring professional athlete keep himself in the best shape possible, when everything was locked down? He responded with “When I got back, I realized one thing that was going to be locked down were the gyms, so I had to create an at home workout program to keep myself in shape. I was lucky enough to be in contact with some of my athletic trainers from when I played at Long Beach and Panos, our trainer and strength coach for the Stunners, and they were able to help me come up with a plan” That statement peaked our curiosity, we wondered without access to weights, did he only do bodyweight exercises or did he have another trick up his sleeve? He told us that the trick is bottles and gallons of water. One thing he said he would do is take bottles of water, put them in his backpack, and then use it as a weight. Whether he was putting it on his back and doing jumps, or holding it over his head for a shoulder workout, he just wanted to find ways to get better.

The next thing we wanted to talk to Nick Amado about was how to keep yourself in a good headspace, while being potentially locked in your house for a long period of time. We asked him what steps he took to keep his mind sharp and ready for when volleyball season started back up, he could come in better than when the quarantine started. Nick responded with “Well, I’m not going to lie, I did fall into the Netflix trap a little bit, especially with the Tiger King came out. Outside of that, I got to focus on reading a little bit and took some free online classes to broaden my horizons a little bit. The reading was the best part though because me and some friends started a book club and we read Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl which was an outstanding book.” Nick continues on with “It’s really easy to sit around a do nothing in quarantine, especially during those first few weeks, but it’s not healthy to have all that time, and do nothing with it. Instead of playing video games or plowing through Netflix series, I tried my best to take that time and better myself so I can come out of this pandemic a better person and better volleyball player”. This is a great example of what being a Stunner is all about, persevering through tough times to better themselves as a person and a volleyball player.

The next thing we wanted to talk to Nick about was how to find discipline in his quarantine life and how being part of the Stunners program helped him find that. Nick answered us with “So as a professional athlete, discipline is everything, but you already have your day scheduled for you. You have serving practice in the morning, then lifting, a break for lunch, and then practice. So, during the quarantine when you have no schedule, and no time commitments, you must create your own schedule. What worked for me was to devote a block of time to doing the workouts that Panos sent us, a block of time to online classes or reading, and then a block of time for family and other stuff. Doing this helped me learn a lot, and it was a similar feeling to being self-employed. I had to learn to become incredibly disciplined with my time, so when I got back to practicing with the Stunners, I can come in and be in the best shape mentally and physically. The great thing about being on the Stunners team is that we had Panos always checking in with us about our workouts, our recovery, and our improvements. Another great thing about being on the Stunners is that everyone checked in with each other to make sure that we were all doing okay physically and mentally during the initial lockdown.”

Have social media? Follow Nick Amado and the Stunners

Instagram: Nick Amado https://www.instagram.com/namado25/  Stunners https://www.instagram.com/stunnersnvausa/

The Orange County Stunners tout an impressive roster, with Matt Hilling as one of their key players since 2017. He is one of the most consistent outside hitters in the NVA, and has an elite history of playing high level volleyball in places like Brazil, Austria, Romania as well as training for the U.S. indoor national team. He also boasts a long history of performing on the beach, playing in AVP tournaments since he was 17. 

During the last couple of months, players in the NVA have been subjected to quarantine much like the rest of the United States, so it is important to check in with them on their thoughts and feelings during these trying times. Quarantine and social distancing has its negatives and positives, it allows players to rest, rehab, and get stronger, while also potentially developing new skills or fine-tuning others. When asked about his quarantine experience, Matt said “Quarantine has been up and down for me, I had a lot of plans that were canceled but was still able to make the most out of it.” When asked if he was able to use this time for something else, he talked about his passion for music, which is another love of his. “I’ve been studying music production and working on songs a lot; it has been nice because music is something I love so much.”

The concept of rest, a sometimes foreign but important one, allows the player to heal from any injuries that they could have developed over time. With gyms being closed, quarantine is a great time to allow those injuries to heal so the player can come back stronger. Matt explained that the years of playing has created a lot of tension in his hip that has bothered him for a couple years. “The quarantine has allowed me to rehab my hip, it really helps that we have Panos (Stunners Athletic Trainer) around to create exercises and work on me so when I come back I can help my team to a victory.” One thing to take notice though is what an injury can do to the stamina of a volleyball player. Matt explained that “The one thing I am having issues with is staying in shape, because the hip is such a valuable part of your mobility as a player, that without it at 100% it’s tough for me to practice consistently.” 

In more joyful news, it is confirmed that the Stunners, along with the rest of the NVA, will be playing in an eight-team tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah in November. When asked about this tournament, Matt expressed his joy by saying that, “I am super excited to compete again, I think it’s going to be a great event and I can’t wait to be on the court.” He also elaborated on the Stunners team, telling us that “We are looking really good this year. There’s obviously some guys playing overseas right now who we are going to miss but our roster is so deep that it doesn’t really matter. I think we are going to win it.” 

Stay tuned for more updates on the NVA, Stunners, and Hilling.

As some ‘stay at home’ quarantine orders can be perceived as a time of boredom and isolation, some of the Stunners have decided to use this time to better themselves. They do this by working out, picking up new hobbies, or rehabbing their tired bodies after a grueling season. One Stunner that is using this time as more of a vacation is veteran Stunner, Johannes Brink. Johannes is originally from Norco, California in the Inland Empire, but moved out to Newport Beach in Orange County to play at Orange Coast College after high school.

After OCC, Johannes went on to play at Cal Baptist University, and then with Blizzard Volleyball (Now Stunners). He has established himself as a dominant force in the NVA as an opposite hitter for the Stunners over the past four years and is seen as a leader for the team. Johannes has spent most of his time in quarantine down in Newberry Springs at his family’s lake house where he has been able to relax and focus on himself for a while.

Johannes considers himself an outdoorsy person and loves to be active, with dirt-bike riding as one of his favorite pastimes. “Riding motocross has always been my first love and passion, even before volleyball,” he said. In addition to just riding, Johannes mentioned how he loves to work on his restored motorcycle, and all of the nuances that go into such a project. “I really wanted to understand the mechanics behind a dirt bike, so through video tutorials on YouTube I was able to get to work,” he stated. Other ways Johannes remains active is through other extreme sports like surfing and wakeboarding. 

Johannes continues to find ways to keep a positive outlook during the era of COVID. That positive outlook also bleeds over into volleyball and the upcoming NVA season. 

“Now with the world slowly opening back up, my thought process has switched over to volleyball mode, even though we don’t know what to expect this upcoming season,” Johannes explained, “I am grateful for any type of season I can get with my team. The boys on the Stunners are going to give everything they got every practice and game, nothing is going to hold us back from completing our goals this season”

One thing that Johannes is sure of, is that the time off is good for everyone who has been dealing with injuries. Johannes has been rehabbing a hurt shoulder and is now feeling better than ever. He exclaimed that his healthy shoulder is ready to put “holes in the floor from bouncing so hard.” We look forward to seeing that, be sure to follow Johannes and the Stunners.

The two-time NCAA National Champion, Nick Amado (@namado25), will extend his professional career and sign the offer to journey across the Atlantic ocean to another season abroad. He will be heading to Finland where the nights are long and the saunas are hot to play for Raison Loimu in the city of Turku. Finland is a world famous volleyball country and a great league for players to build their reputation with aspirations of advancing to more developed, higher paying leagues in countries like Italy and France.

Nick will spend his days soaking as much California sunshine as possible before he leaves due to Finland’s long nights and short days. He has been training extremely hard and lifting heavy, leaning on the virtual support and socially distanced guidance from the NVA trainer and staff. He will be accompanied by fellow NVA athlete and Las Vegas Ramblers libero, Ryan Manoogian, who will play on the same team as Nick. These athletes will return in April, bigger and better, to another season of NVA action. We wish Nick the best of luck in Finland and hope they win playoffs and return home in good health. GO NICK!

Iam going to Raison Loimu in Finland. My leave date is supposed to be at the end of august but due to the ongoing situation it can change. I am super excited though because the team is great, the city is beautiful and I get to play with a good friend of mine who also plays in the NVA, Ryan Manoogian (Las Vegas Ramblers). So I’m super excited! – Nick Amado

California Governor increases shut down restrictions again

With the recent increase in the recommendations from the California Governor, the practices remain canceled and the events continue to drop off the schedule, but NVA believes we will see some volleyball this year. The NVA staff remain optimistic that there will be live action by the end of the season. Players are staying strong and hopeful to restart the schedule and provide for the fans. The amazing NVA fanbase will patiently wait for the league to deliver the good news. While other American sports leagues talk about the likelihood of airing games with no fans, the league executives are looking for an appropriate venue that will follow all the guidelines and keep everyone protected.

“…in these unknown difficult times, it is one’s choice to be a leader/role model among their teammates, family, friends.  We all have a choice to continue to work hard, productive or be lazy or destructive to our community.  At NVA, we expect our staffs, coaches, team members, player to uphold our core values: respectful, encouragement, and leadership…” Howard Ouellette, CEO