San Marino Sunk Last Season to An All-Time Low, But New Coach Has A Blueprint for Success.
By Mitch Lehman
For decades, San Marino High School’s volleyball program was as stable as any sport on the campus. Coaches changed at a glacial pace. A 20-year career was the rule, rather than the exception.
But things have been quite different since the turn of the century. Restaurants are a safer bet to stick around than a San Marino volleyball coach.
Here to hopefully change that disturbing trend is Hugo Ayala, a gentle giant whose calm manner and philosophical acumen belie his 21 years.
A former all-league performer at John Burroughs High School, Ayala’s collegiate career was derailed by a bad shoulder, and his on-court loss might just be San Marino’s coaching gain. He’s already rubbed clipboards with some of the best in the business, and he now sets his sights on breaking a jinx that began two years before he even arrived on the planet: beating La Cañada.
“We’re doing really well,” Ayala said, when asked about a five-set scrimmage at Pasadena Poly last Friday. “We are making strides towards our goal, which is to improve every day. We battled hard during the scrimmage, and I am very happy about that.”
Ayala knew full well he was walking into a gym that seemed to be serviced by a revolving door, and brought with him the perfect perspective.
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