Optimism for BV Boys Volleyball

BV Newsroom

By Talmage Wigginton

Fair Oaks, CA - March 1, 2026

Boys volleyball is back in season at Bella Vista, and with it comes a huge sense of optimism for what’s ahead. Volleyball, especially in the Capital Valley Conference, can be a largely unforgiving sport. Nothing shows this better than Bella Vista’s 0-12 league and 3-21 overall record last season. The CVC is filled with powerhouse teams like Vista del Lago, which dominated the league with a 10-2 record and finished 26-7 overall. Even though Bella Vista was in a very strong league, some would view the team’s lack of wins as a failure of a season. However, there was a lot more to the Broncos’ year than their record showed. 

Last year, Bella Vista’s team was very young and largely inexperienced. Going into last season, it only had one Senior on the roster and 3 collective years of Varsity experience, two of which from current senior Charley Metoyer. To put that into perspective, this year Jesuit (another elite Volleyball team) has eight seniors and a whopping 23 years of collective Varsity experience. Bella Vista comes into this year a lot older and more prepared (5 seniors and 10 collective years of Varsity experience) than it was last year.

Some of Bella Vista’s new Varsity players also bring experience from places other than BV volleyball. 

Jeffrey Peikin, one of the new middle blockers, transferred to Bella Vista at the start of the school year. He was one of the cornerstones of a developing Mira Loma team, and by transferring to Bella Vista he is bringing his talent to another team that’s on the rise. “As a Middle, your main job is to make sure that you can get a touch on every ball that goes over the net,” Jeffrey said before an away game at Antelope. “You don’t get set super often, but if you are blocking or slowing down everything that goes towards your side, then you can earn your team a lot of points.” Since he is a transfer student, he is not eligible to compete in the first half of the season, but the team is confident that he will be a big help when he is back on the court.

Mason Delorefice is yet another new Middle Blocker for BV. This year he was the only Sophomore to make Varsity, which is extremely impressive considering the massive class of Juniors in the program. On being the only Sophomore to make Varsity, Delorefice said “It feels pretty nice. I’m excited to go out and have fun, and hopefully get a winning record as well.” Before this season started, he played Club Volleyball for the Aspire 16-1 team. His natural talent and what he learned at Aspire have given him all the tools he needs to help Bella Vista find a lot more success this season.

In part due to some of these new players, Bella Vista has also gotten a lot taller. One of the most important aspects of Volleyball is being able to consistently hit the ball for kills and block the other team’s hitters. While a lot of hard work and practice can have anyone hitting and blocking on the 8 foot men’s net, height makes both of these things a lot easier. Bella Vista currently has 7 players taller than 6 feet, with Dustin Yuill leading the way at 6-foot-7, Talmage Wigginton following at 6-5, Ante Vucica at 6-4, Delorefice at 6-3, Peikin at 6-1, and Phoenix Thompson and Davis Marton rounding out the group at 6-0 flat. Having all of these tall players should make blocking on defense a lot more consistent than it was for the team last season.

Even though last season was rocky, all of these changes are leading players, fans and coaches to hope for a year filled with wins and competitive games. All in all, though, no matter the win total of this season or the last, Bella Vista Boys’ Volleyball is constantly improving and most importantly, having a lot of fun while they’re at it. 

BV Boys Volleyball Home Game, 2026

If you’re interested in watching the team this year, then mark your calendars for home games this season!

3/18 vs. Christian Brothers – F/S 4:30pm  -  JV 5:30pm – Var 6:30pm

3/20 vs. El Dorado – F/S 4:30pm  -  JV 5:30pm – Var 6:30pm

3/23 vs. Woodcreek – F/S 4:30pm  -  JV 5:30pm – Var 6:30pm

3/25 vs. Vista del Lago – F/S 4:30pm  -  JV 5:30pm – Var 6:30pm

4/13 vs. Rio Americano – F/S 4:30pm  -  JV 5:30pm – Var 6:30pm

4/15 vs. Inderkum – F/S 4:30pm  -  JV 5:30pm – Var 6:30pm

Bella Vista’s current roster – See below for details on each position*

NUMBER	NAME	GRADE	POSITION
2	Charley Metoyer	Senior	Libero
3	Davis Marton	Junior	Outside Hitter
4	Ante Vucica	Senior	Opposite Hitter
5	Ryan Ramirez	Junior	Outside/Libero
6	Dustin Yuill	Junior	Opposite Hitter
10	Phoenix Thompson	Junior	Outside Hitter
12	Zach Hunt	Senior	Libero/Outside
13	Arian Hemmat Esfeh	Senior	Libero/Outside
14	Jeffrey Peikin	Junior	Middle Blocker
16	Talmage Wigginton	Junior	Middle Blocker
23	Mason Delorefice	Sophomore	Middle/Outside
24	Nick West	Senior	Setter
55	Zach Corpus	Junior	Setter

*Here’s a quick rundown on all of the positions on the court:

Outside Hitters hit and block on the left side of the net when they’re in the front row, and pass when they are in the back row.

Middle Blockers move along the entire net, blocking all of the other teams' hitters. They also hit, primarily in the middle of the net but sometimes on the left or right.

Opposite Hitters hit and block on the right side of the net when they’re in the front row, and pass while in the back row.

Setters run the offense, taking the second touch whenever they can and setting it up to one of the hitters. They can also hit the ball themselves when they are in the front row. 

Liberos are usually one of if not the best passers on the team. They wear an opposite colored jersey than the rest of the team because they have a few specific rules that they need to follow.