[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 130 (Tuesday, September 15, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


A TRIBUTE HONORING SALESIAN HIGH SCHOOL'S CHAMPIONSHIP VOLLEYBALL TEAM 
                   FROM BOYLE HEIGHTS IN LOS ANGELES

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                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 15, 2009

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
commend an extraordinary group of highly motivated and talented high 
school volleyball players and their coach from the Boyle Heights area 
of Los Angeles in the 34th District who were crowned champions of 
California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)-Southern Section Division V 
in May.
   When people talk about Salesian High School's run at the 
championship, they talk about an unlikely coach and an equally unlikely 
group of young men for whom volleyball has become more than a game.
   The team's coach, Elliott Walker, is a math teacher who learned the 
basics about volleyball by reading library books. With his compact body 
and beard, he doesn't exactly fit the stereotype of a volleyball coach. 
As for the players, the Salesian roster mirrors a student body that is 
96 percent Latino, and few of the kids played volleyball before 
arriving as freshmen.
   However, with a defensive style that emphasizes keeping the ball in 
play, Salesian's team, called the Mustangs, more than compensates for 
its lack of height and experience. The Mustangs try to throw other 
teams off-balance with quick transitions, giving opponents less time to 
settle defensively. This approach suits their coach who, ever the 
mathematician, asks players to line up with shoulders perfectly angled 
and teaches his players precise steps for each situation. Hitters aim 
at nine distinct areas across the net like keys on a cellphone, 
beginning with high-percentage shots to No. 1, then No. 3, and so on.
   After consecutive runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2008, the second-
seeded Mustangs ventured to suburban Orange County this year for a shot 
at the title. While the Mustangs built a respectable program on sweat 
and guile, the team from the Boyle Heights school faced a formidable 
match-up. After all, Salesian faced volleyball royalty in the form of 
St. Margaret's of San Juan Capistrano. In addition to being made up of 
big kids from a beach town, St. Margaret's team is led by Coach Karch 
Kiraly, a legend in the sport, whose two sons are on the team's roster.
   After four hard-fought games, the final match ended when senior 
outside hitter Bernard Luna smashed his eighth kill of game four, 
giving the all-boys school from East Los Angeles its first-ever section 
title in the sport. Luna finished with 22 kills, two blocks and a 
service ace in an overall spectacular performance. This was not a one-
man effort. Cameron Walker, Jacob Porter, Aaron Turcios, brothers 
Steven and Ivan Godinez and Erwin Ramirez were the other starters who 
contributed. Anthony San Jose and John Mora also had their moments off 
the bench.
   Bernard Luna, a senior outside hitter who averaged 18 kills per game 
for the Division V champion Mustangs, was named CIF Player of the Year. 
Salesian's Elliott Walker was named Coach of the Year. And, juniors 
Erwin Ramirez and Cameron Walker were named to the First Team All-CIF.
   But the players success extends well beyond the volleyball court. 
All nine seniors on last school year's championship volleyball team are 
currently enrolled at four year colleges, including Luna, who earned an 
athletic scholarship to Hope International University.
   Madam Speaker, on behalf of the 34th Congressional District and the 
state of California, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
Salesian High School's volleyball team on their remarkable achievements 
and extending to this school year's team our best wishes for the 
upcoming season. They are truly an inspiration, on and off the 
volleyball court. After all, as they have shown, with determination, 
teamwork and a lot of hard work, anything is possible.

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