Ripon Christian coach Kevin Tameling is used to working with a skeleton crew at the start of boys volleyball seasons.

Several of his core players are typically in the middle of a deep playoff run in basketball. With the hoops team making a rare first-round exit, Tameling has been able to hold multiple practices with nearly his full complement of athletes heading into the Knights’ 2026 opener Friday at Lathrop.

For the most part, the reigning Sac-Joaquin Section Division III champion looked sharp in the 25-16, 25-13, 25-21 sweep of the Spartans, who are, in contrast, shorthanded.

“We had some hiccups out there, but it helped having the team together this week,” Tameling said. “We got everybody pretty much back on Monday, so we’ve had four practices to kind of work some things out.”

There is still much left to figure out with his rotations.

With nine of 10 players available, the Knights showed their depth on Friday.

Returning All-SJS Small School Player of the Year Mason Tameling led them with 14 kills, four aces and four digs. Sophomores Trevor Van Groningen and Grant Wentworth added seven and six kills, respectively. Six-foot-7 senior middle Darren Van Groningen had six kills and three blocks.

Libero Ian Brown contributed nine digs, while setter Daniel Lambdin totaled 30 digs to go with three aces, two kills and a block.

“We’re deeper,” Coach Tameling said. “Last year, we had eight or nine guys on the team and really had one lineup that we could roll with. Right now, I feel like we’ve got options. Guys are playing well, and it makes for great practices. We’re getting better in the gym. Iron sharpens iron, and so we have guys really helping each other to get better when we’re practicing.”

Lathrop is also tinkering, as coach Toa Fa’ali’i seeks the right combinations of talent surrounding his fourth-year standout, and son, Gabriel. Multiple projected starters are out to ineligibility, but the Spartans could be a much different team in the middle of the season.

For now, Coach Fa’ali’i is assessing what he has while competing against top teams in the area in non-league matches.

“It was a good game to see where we’re at,” he said. “Obviously, we need a lot of work. There are so many new faces, and I’m still just trying to piece the team together.

Gabriel Fa’ali’i, a two-time All-SJS First Team selection, did all he could to keep his team competitive on Friday, tallying 11 kills and three aces. The rest of the team had eight kills.

Jorge Reyes handed out 17 assists while accounting for two kills.

Lathrop did not lead until Fa’ali’i solo blocked Tameling for the first point of the third set. It was tied 12-12 when Ripon Christian broke away for good with an 11-3 run.

Fa’ali’i later went on a personal four-point run with a kill and three straight aces to keep the Spartans alive, 24-21. The match ended passing miscues on Lathrop’s side.

“I gotta give it to (Gabriel), he’s trying his best,” Coach Fa’ali’i said. “He’s helping the younger boys out. Sometimes, it’s not about wins and losses. Hopefully, by mid-season, we can get everybody in.”