Spruce Creek remains productive melting pot as Volusia-Flagler's only boys volleyball team

PORT ORANGE — The first time Finn Rich showed up to Spruce Creek High School for volleyball workouts, he got lost. He couldn’t find the gym.

Understandable. He goes to Mainland.

But the senior had to come to Spruce Creek if he wanted to play volleyball.

The Hawks are the only boys program in the Volusia-Flagler area, making them a bit of a melting pot — and a popular one at that. More than 65 players attended tryouts. Thirty made the cut (15 on varsity, 15 on JV), and five of them emanate from schools other than Spruce Creek.

“Next year, we'll be getting more because I know the interest,” coach Chris Zablo said.

Heading into the District 3-1A Tournament, the Hawks hold an 11-13 record and rank 45th out of 207 teams in the state. As the second seed, they will face No. 3 Seminole in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“I'd say, to be honest, you haven't seen the best of this team just because we've had a lot of people injured,” Rich said.

Zablo and seniors Carson Pliapol and Tiden Burch agree.

Spruce Creek has not finished with a sub-.500 record since 2018, so it has developed a reputation. Zablo said that may scare some kids away from giving the sport a try since the high-level Hawks are the only local option.

Still, plenty from Spruce Creek and elsewhere do.

“Their ADs always reach out to me, ‘Hey, I've got this kid. When is your tryouts?’” Zablo said. “So I never knew who these kids were until the day they walked in. Once they had the paperwork and all that, they showed up. I know if I put it out there that any kid could come to Creek for volleyball and be at the school, the interest would probably (increase). But I don't put it out at all.”

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On the varsity roster, Rich is a Mainland student. He didn’t know anyone when he entered tryouts. Sophomore Bradley Covino studies at New Smyrna Beach, and junior Lukas Christman is a DME Academy product.

Another newcomer, junior Andrew Sandvoss, attends Spruce Creek but had never played volleyball before this season. He suited up for the Hawks’ soccer team during the winter.

They joined established competitors like Pliapol, the reigning area player of the year, and senior Max Fellars.

“There are two different ways to look at it,” Pliapol said. “Gelling as a team, I'd say it's still going on right now. We're still finding our way to become one (on the court). But as friends, it was instant.”

There is another aspect of being the only Volusia-Flagler team that helps with that: roadtrips. Those are a pro and con.

Pro: “They definitely build chemistry, for sure, especially the van rides,” Burch said. “Whoever is in the van is spending a long time together. There, back. We also get to games really early, so we're there all together before the games and everything.”

Con: They aren’t just strolling down the street. Most of their matches require longer drives. To Orlando, to St. Johns County, to Miami.

“It wears you out sometimes,” Rich said.

Last year, Zablo had a senior-heavy team and stacked its calendar with home matches. In return, he promised the opponents he would visit them this season. Spruce Creek has hosted only two home matches, plus its own tournament, this spring.

“Mileage and hours, I have no clue what we were traveling,” Zablo said, smiling. “... We live in Orlando.”

As a result, he attempts to schedule matches early, with 5:30, 6 or 6:30 p.m. start times. That way, the Hawks get back at decent hours.

The only time they were fully healthy this season was Opening Night. They crushed Seminole 3-0 on March 4.

Since then, Pliapol missed seven matches with a torn muscle in his abdomen. Christman sat out three with leg injuries. Fellars has been sidelined. Zablo estimates 10 or 11 of his 15 varsity players have battled bumps, bruises and ailments.

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The majority of their contests occurred in the first two weeks. Between March 4 and March 19, Spruce Creek competed 17 times with a 7-10 record. Two tournaments boosted that total.

Then, they enjoyed two weeks off.

Beginning April 5, they ran another week-long gauntlet of seven matches (4-3), including a tournament, through April 11, when they fell to Seminole 3-1. They have not taken the court since then to heal up.

That’s the focus at this point. Zablo simply wants healthy players for Tuesday and beyond. And he thinks he’s going to get them.

“I know there are more steps we can go,” Pliapol said. “It's just unfortunate because we're limited with time now. But we're going to make the most of it.”

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Boys volleyball: Spruce Creek Hawks still only Volusia-Flagler team