Here are the Top 15 SJ County boys volleyball players to watch this season
Another season of high school boys volleyball is underway for teams across San Joaquin County.
Last season, the 209 was home to one Sac-Joaquin Section championship team in Ripon Christian. The Knights captured the lone area blue banner winning the SJS Division 4 championship.
They may have been the only 209 champs last season but a handful of other teams made deep playoff runs thanks to their star-studded athletes.
With the 2023-24 season upon us, the Record has composed a list of the Top 15 boys volleyball players from SJ County to keep tabs on this season. The list includes players from the Tri-City Athletic, Valley Oak, Southern Athletic, Western Athletic Conference and the San Joaquin Athletic Association.
(Athletes listed in alphabetical order)
Owen Altadonna
School: Sierra
Year: Junior
Position: Middle hitter
Summary: The Timberwolves' deep SJS Division 3 playoff run was on the back of Altadonna. The junior middle hitter finished the season averaging 2.5 kills per set and a total of 212 kills. His accuracy on the attack had him ranked 21st in California in hitting percentage, close to 40%. Altadonna will look to get Sierra past the semifinals in his junior campaign.
Chauncey Arcangel
School: West
Year: Senior
Position: Outside hitter
Summary: Arcangel was West’s biggest offensive weapon last season as he led it to a fourth-place finish in the TCAL. He averaged 2.7 kills per set to rack up 257 total kills. Serving wise he finished the season with the second most aces for the Wolfpack, 26. So far this season West holds a 5-4 record and will look to Arcangel to help it be more competitive in the TCAL.
Jai Aquino
School: East Union
Year: Senior
Position: Outside hitter
Summary: East Union ended last year just one spot shy of the playoffs and Aquino will look to change that this go-round. The senior outside hitter averaged a team-high 3.4 kills per set ending with 129 total kills. Defensively he played a key role as well, averaging 1.6 digs per set and the second-highest total blocks on the team, 21.
Sopeaq Chhom
School: McNair
Year: Senior
Position: Setter
Summary: Chhom could find any McNair player in the attacking position as one of the top setters in the section. The 5-foot-7 senior finished last year with the second most assists in the SJAA, 432. So far this season he’s already reeled in 151 assists. He was a vital part of the Eagles' offense to earn them a spot in the SJS Division 1 playoffs. He’ll look to get them past the first round this year.
Angel Cuevas
School: Cesar Chavez
Year: Senior
Position: Middle hitter
Summary: Cuevas was a bright spot for a not-so-memorable last season for the Titans. Despite their sixth-place finish in the SJAA, Cuevas did all he could leading his team in just about every stat. He ended the year averaging 2.3 kills per set, 163 total kills, and a team-high 27 blocks. So far this season, Chavez holds a 3-1 record and will look to keep the winning ways up.
Gabriel Faalii
School: Lathrop
Year: Sophomore
Position: Outside hitter
Summary: Faalii is one of two sophomores to make the Top 15 Players to Watch list as he was the Spartans' go-to last season. As just a freshman he averaged close to four kills per set, racking up the most kills of any player in SJ County, 347. His offensive efficiency helped Lathrop advance to the quarterfinals of the SJS Division 3 playoffs. Faalii is looking to take the Spartans further in his sophomore campaign.
Daniel Huerta
School: St. Mary’s
Year: Senior
Position: Opposite-side hitter
Summary: At the opposite-side hitter position, Huerta was a solid player for the Rams. He averaged 4.4 kills per set and has picked up where he left off with 44 kills in the first eight games. Huerta will look to become St. Mary’s go-to offensively as it hopes to go back-to-back as TCAL champions. The Rams will look to make a deeper SJS Division 1 playoff run this year.
Marquell Marshall
School: Ripon
Year: Senior
Position: Libero
Summary: Marshall was a key part of Ripon’s solid performance last year as its Libero. The senior finished his junior year averaging 4.2 digs per set for a total of 228 digs. Along with being one of the Indians' top defenders, Marshall made his presence known offensively. He ended last year with a team-high 69 aces and 213 receptions. Ripon will hope for a deeper SJS Division 2 playoff run this season.
Julio Mateo
School: Manteca
Year: Senior
Position: Outside hitter
Summary: Manteca is back on track to be the top team from the VOL as it holds a 5-1 record so far this season. Mateo is a key reason behind the early success at the outside hitter position currently averaging close to three kills per set. Last season, he finished with the second-most total kills, 174. Mateo is looking to become the Buffaloes' go-to offensively to get them back to the SJS Division 2 playoffs.
Manil Mehta
School: Mountain House
Year: Junior
Position: Outside hitter
Summary: After a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Patterson in the SJS Division 2 first round of last year the Mustangs are looking to bounce back. Mehta is their top returner as he averaged 2.6 kills per set to finish with 161 total kills. So far this year, the junior outside hitter is averaging 4.1 kills per set for 81 kills and a team-high 10 aces. Mountain House will need him to shine to make a deeper playoff run this season.
Abraham Palacios
School: Weston Ranch
Year: Senior
Position: Outside hitter
Summary: Palacios finished his junior year as one of the top outside hitters from the 209. The senior outside hitter averaged 3.5 kills last year to finish with a whopping 300 kills. His attacking accuracy had him ranked ninth in the nation with a 50.6% hitting percentage. With Palacios at the helm, the Cougars are currently 9-0 and looking to make another deep run in the SJS Division 2 playoffs this season.
Jeshua Rivera
School: Bear Creek
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive specialist
Summary: As one of Bear Creek’s captains this year, Rivera is hoping to lead the Bruins to a better SJAA finish. Last year he averaged a team-high three digs per set for a total of 170 digs. Offensively, he ended with 57 receptions and the second-most aces on the team, 35. Rivera will need another stellar season to help Bear Creek finish in the top three of the SJAA to earn a playoff berth.
Mason Tameling
School: Ripon Christian
Year: Sophomore
Position: Outside hitter
Summary: Tameling accomplished a lot in his first varsity volleyball season as he was a rising star for the Knights. Standing at 6-foot-2, the now sophomore outside hitter averaged 1.5 kills per set and was Ripon Christian's best server. He finished with 73 total aces, the sixth most in the SJS and 17th most in California. With Ripon Christian losing a chunk of seniors from last year’s championship team, Tameling will be a key returner this year.
Diego Villalobos
School: Lodi
Year: Senior
Position: Libero
Summary: Despite a not-so-great 2-6 start this season, the Flames will look to their senior libero to get them back on track. Villalobos was a big reason they earned an SJS Division 2 playoff berth last season as he averaged close to four digs per set for a total of 104 digs. He helped Lodi finish tied for first in the TCAL with St. Mary’s. He and the rest of the Flames will need to lock in to get back to winning this year.
Gage Wimberley
School: Kimball
Year: Senior
Position: Outside hitter
Summary: The Jaguars' key returner this season is Wimberley at the outside hitter position. Last season he racked up close to 200 kills as he averaged 2.5 kills per set. He also led his team in serving with a team-high 44 aces leading Kimball to an SJS Division 3 playoff appearance. This year, the senior is currently averaging 4.5 kills per set with a total of 71 kills so far. Wimberley and the Jaguars hold a 4-3 record so far this season.
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: The Top 15 SJ County boys volleyball players to watch this season
