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Six Freshmen Set to Join Men’s Volleyball
The Crimson welcomes six freshmen to the roster for the
2010-11 season (Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's
volleyball team will add six freshmen to its lineup for the 2010-11
season. Four members of the class of 2014 hail from California
while Hawaii and Wisconsin are also represented among the freshmen
class.
"We're looking forward to having these guys on the court with us next year; it's a very talented class," said head coach Brian Baise. "They're going to give us a lot more size at the net, and they're going to provide some much needed depth, particularly at the middle blocker position.
"These guys are coming out of the country's top high school and club programs. They join a solid returning group of players. We're hopeful that the combination of our experienced upperclassmen and the incoming freshmen will put us right in the hunt for another Hay Division championship."
Harvard ended last season with a 5-16 overall record and a 3-5 mark in division play, just missing out on the final playoff spot. Junior Matt Jones returns as the team's top hitter, finishing second on the team in kills (314), kills per set (4.13) and first in service aces with 23 on the season. Rob Lothman will continue his roll as the team's top setter after finishing last season with 681 assists.
Here is a look at the Harvard men's volleyball class of 2014:
Jack Latta, Middle Blocker, 6-5, 210, San Diego,
Calif./La Jolla
Was a member of the varsity volleyball and basketball teams for
three years at La Jolla High School (Calif.) … Twice earned
first-team All-Division III honors in volleyball and once in
basketball … Earned all-section honors in volleyball and
basketball … Also named to the first-team All-Western League
squad in both sports … High school teams won the California
Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championships his sophomore and
junior year in volleyball and basketball … High school team
finished runner-up in both sports senior year at CIF championships
… Was a national AP Scholar and National Merit Scholar
… Won the 2008 San Diego Math Olympiad … Finished
ninth in the nation at the 2009 American Regions Mathematics League
competition … United States of America Mathematical Olympiad
(USAMO) qualifier … Coach of Muirlands Middle School math
team … President of high school math and mock trial teams
… Also enjoys ping pong.
Will Chambers. Middle Blocker, 6-3, 170, Honolulu,
Hawaii/Iolani
Was a varsity member of the volleyball team (two years), track and
field (one year, long and triple jump), kayak team (one year) and
paddling team (one year) … In 2010, named to Interscholastic
League of Honolulu first-team and state honorable mention team for
volleyball … Was a national merit semi-finalist …
Graduated Iolani High School as valedictorian … Received the
Lawrence S. Braden Award for mathematics and the Walter Goo Award
for academics and athletics.
Michael Owen, Opposite/Outside Hitter, 6-7, 195,
Middleton, Wisc./Middleton
Was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter in volleyball
… Lettered three years and started two years in basketball
… Lettered and started two years in tennis, playing doubles
… Captained the volleyball team sophomore and senior year
and the basketball team senior year … Made first team
all-conference team 2008–10, second team all-state junior
year, first team all-state, team MVP and conference MVP senior year
in volleyball … Was honorable mention all-conference senior
year in basketball … Earned second team all-conference in
tennis junior year … Volleyball team was a state tournament
participant all four years he was a varsity member … Tennis
team participated in state tournament both years of participation,
finishing as runner-up junior year … Member of the National
Honor Society … 2010 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics
Association (WIAA) Scholar Athlete … Middleton High School
2010 Senior Athlete … Brother, Tim, played basketball at the
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Chris Gibbons, Outside Hitter, 6-1, 175, Yorba Linda,
Calif./Orange Lutheran
Was a three-year letter winner and starter in volleyball (2008-10)
… Captained the team in 2010 … Named team Rookie of
the Year in 2008 … Named team Defensive Player of the Year
in 2009 and 2010 … Member of the "Best of the
West" 2010 all-tournament team … Earned All-Trinty
League honors in 2010 … Earned the "Coaches'
Award" in 2010 … Eagle Scout and recipient of the
Eagle Bronze Palm in 2009 … Received the President's
Volunteer Service Award in 2010 … Named "The
Outstanding Young Male Leader of 2009 in Orange County"
… Member of the National Honor Society … Received
Prudential's Certificate of Excellence in 2010 …
Father, Michael, graduated from Harvard in 1978 … Brother,
Matt, '12 is currently a member of the men's
lightweight crew team at Harvard … Cousin, Britta Lindquist,
graduated from Harvard in 2007.
Nick Madden, Middle Blocker, 6-5, 205, San Diego,
Calif./Cathedral Catholic
Was a four-year varsity member of the volleyball and basketball
teams and two-year track and field participant (high jump and shot
put) at Cathedral Catholic High School (Calif.) … Captained
the basketball team from 2008-10 and volleyball team in 2009 and
2010 … In basketball, second team all-league member 2007-09,
and first team in 2010 … Second-team All-California
Interscholastic Federation (CIF) member 2008-09, and first-team in
2010 … MVP of high school team in 2010 … Member of
the All-CIF all-star team in 2010 … In volleyball,
second-team All-CIF 2009 … First-team All-CIF and all-league
in 2010 … Received the coaches' award for leadership
2006-10 … Completed almost 700 volunteer hours coaching
youth flag football, basketball, baseball, participating in Build A
Miricale and a variety of other activities … Received the
Cathedral Cares Scholarship Award … Received the
President's Outstanding Academic Excellence Award in 2010
… Enjoys playing beach volleyball, playing the guitar and
playing KanJam … Father, Nils, played basketball for the
University of San Diego, making the NCAA tournament twice and
played professionally overseas in Germany.
Kyle Rehkemper, Middle Blocker, 6-6, 180, Palos Verdes
Estates, Calif./Palos Verdes
Was a four-year letterwinner and starter in volleyball at Palos
Verdes High School … Captained the team in 2009 and 2010
… Member of the first-team All-Bay League squad 2009-10 and
All-Bay League Most Outstanding Player in 2010 … Second-team
All-Bay League in 2008 …Named one of the 2010 Sports Imports
Fab 50 volleyball players … Named one of the 2009 Sports
Imports Top 34 underclassmen.
