May 10, 2024
Warriors' First Run at Nationals Will be a Learning Experience Moving Forward
Westcliff University's men's volleyball team achieved a remarkable feat this season, winning the highly competitive Cal Pac Conference championship and making history with their debut in the NAIA Volleyball Championships.
The Warriors (18-8, Cal Pac 9-3) faced off against No. 3 Grand View (Iowa) and No. 6 Saint Xavier (Ill.) in the pool portion of the NAIA Championships and just missed advancing to the next round after going 1-1.
But it was a big step for the volleyball program, which had slowly been building up for the last couple of years to compete on the biggest stage of the NAIA.
"I am very proud of our team that regardless of our record, the standard remained the standard which was Cal Pac champions, head to the national tournament & make Westcliff known as a volleyball school," explained head coach Alex Griffiths. "I am also proud of how we came out with the fire to upset Grandview and fight against St X.
"It could have gone either way, it's fun to be associated with the top NAIA men's teams & see our team get national recognition."
Led by sophomore and All American Gabriel Pizza, the Warriors have cracked the championship formula in the Cal Pac Conference and will look to defend their title and get another chance to win the red banner.
"This year really helped our team's confidence," Griffiths said. "We always could play at a high level but we didn't produce that play consistently-- now next year we expect these performances to show in preseason.
"We are planning to set up our preseason with the Division 1 & top NAIA level volleyball."
Pizza led the team in almost every statistical category proving once again why he was so deserving in winning Cal Pac Attacker of the Year.
Pizza led the way with 355 kills and a 3.86 kill/set ratio. He had 52 service aces which is double the amount from his freshman year with the Warriors.
Pizza was elite on the defensive end as he led the team with 179 digs and was always active on the net gathering 39 blocks this season.
Senior Ilias Lazaar finished the season strong after being hampered by lingering injuries. Lazaar finished with 265 kills in the season and hit 3.58 kills/set.
Lazaar was crucial in the Cal Pac Tournament run and was a big reason why the Warriors were able to win it. His veteran presence and explosiveness when it came time to win a point was huge, and often the other teams had no answer for it.
Cal Pac Honorable Mention Pawel Tuz led the team in assists with 610 as Michael Schoffstall collected 378.
Tuz missed the start of the regular season as he was recovering from an injury but once he was plugged back in as a starter, took care of business and elevated every one of his teammate's efforts on the offensive end.
Lisati Vaiala and Connor McCann were the unstoppable wall at the net and led the way in total blocks. McCann had 65 and Vaiala trailed behind with 60 in the season.
"I am blessed for my team & truly happy for them," shared Griffiths of the team's effort this season. "There was a lot of sacrifice that came with these accomplishments. Myself & Gus are not easy coaches -- but like we promised we are bringing top-level volleyball & expectations to create an elite program.
"When people think of Westcliff, we want them to think of men's volleyball. Lastly, the greatest lesson they learned, is that hard work always works."