Sports
Holland Christian volleyball wins five-set comeback in quarters
SPARTA – Sam VandeWege began the game sitting on the bench. But the Holland Christian junior ended the game with his teammates chanting “MVP! MVP!” As he walked off the court. “I didn’t play the first two (games today),” said VandeWege, who was out for three weeks with a high-ankle sprain. “Sitting on the bench […]
SPARTA – Sam VandeWege began the game sitting on the bench. But the Holland Christian junior ended the game with his teammates chanting “MVP! MVP!” As he walked off the court.
“I didn’t play the first two (games today),” said VandeWege, who was out for three weeks with a high-ankle sprain. “Sitting on the bench the past three postseason games in the tournament, it was so stressful for me. It felt good to play again and be helpful.”
Holland Christian rallied to beat Grand Rapids Christian in five games in a Division 2 boys volleyball state quarterfinal on Tuesday at Sparta High School.
“I’m really proud of how the team stepped up when it mattered,” Holland Christian coach Mark Walraven said. “We’ve struggled with slow starts all season and today was no different. They dug deep.”
Holland Christian advances to the state semifinals at 1 p.m. on Friday at Hudsonville. The state title game is Saturday at 1 p.m. also at Hudsonville.
When the Maroons lost the first two games 25-21 and 25-19 on Tuesday, they had to do something or their season would be over.
So Coach Walraven looked down his bench and asked VandeWege if he could play.
“He didn’t warm up much because we weren’t sure if we were going to play him,” Walraven said. “We weren’t going to use him, but we were falling behind. He’s obviously a big contributor to the team. He did a great job and made a difference for us.”
VandeWege was exited to yank off his warmup and get on the court.
“Coach asked me If I could play,” he said. “I looked back at my parents and they said ‘go for it!’ If my parents were good with it then I was gonna play for my team.”
He was the spark the Maroons needed. They would rally to win the next two games 25-11 and 25-18 to force a fifth game.
“This was the first Game 5 of the year for us,” senior Grant VanderZee said. “The first two sets were a killer. We were down on ourselves. Once the ball started to go down we took a big lead in the third. It was a good rally and we came out with the win.”
VanderZee, who was named the state’s first-ever Mr. Volleyball Award winner last week, had a booming spike to clinch the win in the fifth game.
“A lot of people knew it was gonna go to me,” he said. “It means a lot. We’ve got one of the best setters in the state in Spencer Walraven.”
VanderZee isn’t going to play college volleyball. He plans to just be a student when he heads to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. But he’s heard the school might start a beach volleyball team. And he plans to try out.
VandeWege had to laugh when he was shaking hands with Grand Rapids Christian after the game.
“I play club volleyball with Jack (Scholten),” he said of the Eagles sophomore. “When I was going through the hand-shake line, they told me they were disappointed that I came in for that third game.”
Sports
About Town Redondo: Home invasion, arrests; ocean water polo, Post Office upgrade
About Town Redondo: Home invasion, arrests; ocean water polo, Post Office upgrade – Easy Reader & Peninsula Magazine Skip to content Police catch, arrest home invasion suspects Responding to a pre-6 a.m. disconnected 911 call about someone pointing a gun at another inside a car Aug. 17, Redondo […]
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Police catch, arrest home invasion suspects
Responding to a pre-6 a.m. disconnected 911 call about someone pointing a gun at another inside a car Aug. 17, Redondo Beach Police officers tracked the report to the 1900 block of Matthews Avenue.
Officers canvassed the area, learning that two residents had been victims of a home invasion, and the suspects fled on foot just before police arrived. Officers gave chase and took the two men into custody without incident.
Jesus Velez, 31, from Rochester, New York and Draven Luna, 21, Queens, New York, were arrested and charged with robbery, burglary and kidnapping. Bail for each was set at $100,000.
RBPD detectives now prepare to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The two victims were treated at the scene by the Redondo Beach Fire Department and taken to a hospital, listed in stable condition. Their identities were withheld as the RBPD investigates the specific circumstances and motives of the incident.
Detectives believe there are no outstanding suspects, and no further threat to the community.
Anyone with information regarding the alleged crime is asked to contact RBPD Detective Coates at (310) 379-2477, ext. 3506.
King Harbor ocean water polo tournament coming; boat parade route expands
Ocean water polo in King Harbor will debut Sept. 20. A tournament with up to 10 teams, including at least two women’s, is set for a demonstration which may become an annual event.
Earlier this year, a water polo club approached Redondo Beach Mayor Jim Light about the idea, following a previous attempt at such an event by Redondo Beach Firefighter Grant Currie.
The Sept. 20 tournament is meant as a proof-of concept, said the mayor, the idea being to approve a long-term event. Currie and Vedran Kaluderovic – City Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic’s husband, a longtime water polo player – are working together to organize the brackets.
Courts will be set up in the water between Riviera Mexican Grill and California Surf Club, a short-term location to take advantage of better spectator vantage points, before the proposed boat ramp goes in at the spot. Courts in the future are slated to be near the Joe’s Crab Shack site.
Ocean water polo is established in Europe but rare in the United States.
“We’re trying to activate the waterfront,” said City Councilman Chadwick Castle. “We want to draw more people down so we can all use and enjoy it.”
In addition, King Harbor Yacht Club’s “Holiday Boat Parade” will have a new route in December, to go closer to the Pier and the corner by Riviera Mexican Cantina, to make it more spectator-friendly.
“This is the only parade we have in Redondo Beach,” Castle said.
Post Office upgrades sorting and delivery center
The U.S. Postal Service has announced an update to the Redondo Beach Sorting and Delivery Center, to aid in operational precision and improve service performance.
“These new, state-of-the-art facilities will help make the Postal Service more efficient, more capable and more competitive for the future,” said Brian Cuellar, Redondo Beach Postmaster. “The investments we’ve made here represent more than just an upgrade; they represent a commitment to our employees, our customers and the future of the Postal Service.”
The modernized, local sorting and delivery center is one of 111 recently launched across the country, as part of a $19 billion investment to revitalize USPS processing, transportation and delivery networks. ER