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Lathrop’s Fa’ali’i is top offensive player for WAC boys volleyball
DeLuna, Gonzalez make all-conference softball first team after leading Spartans to first postseason appearance
All-WAC Spring Teams
Lathrop’s Gabriel Fa’ali’i tries to spike it over the blocks from Luke Rossi (11) and Hayes Terry (21) of visiting Beyer in a Western Athletic Conference match on April 9. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED - photo by SEAN KAHLER

Lathrop junior outside hitter Gabriel Fa’ali’i was voted Offensive Player of the Year while making the All-Western Athletic Conference boys volleyball for a third straight season.

Meanwhile, the Spartans’ softball team has two all-league first-team selections after they advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs for the first time in program history.

No players were selected for baseball.

A two-time selection on the All-SJS Team, Fa’ali’i garnered OPOY in the WAC after getting MVP as a sophomore. He led the Spartans to an 11-3 record in the revamped WAC, and they were 25-9 overall with a second-round appearance in the SJS Division III playoffs.

Fa’ali’i amassed 176 kills (4.0 per set) and 43 aces in conference play. He also contributed 52 digs and 15 blocks on defense.

All-WAC Spring Teams
Lathrop outside hitter Cameron Loyola hits against Beyer’s Jordan Sao Rodriguez in Western Athletic Conference play on April 9. - photo by SEAN KAHLER

Versatile senior Cameron Loyola joins Fa’ali’i on the first team after netting 62 kills, 11 blocks and 60 assists. Junior Marc Llorin (49 kills, 26 blocks) was named to the all-conference second team.

Gurvir Singh and Mike Alvernaz of WAC champion Livingston (13-1, 37-7) are MVP and Coach of the Year, respectively. The Wolves finished as SJS Division IV runners-up and made it to the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships, dropping the Division IV final in four sets to Mater Dei Catholic.

In softball, junior Luz De Luna received All-WAC recognition for a third straight year,

All-WAC Spring Teams
Lathrop infielder Luz DeLuna gets under the short popup in a Western Athletic Conference softball game against visiting Central Valley on April 28. - photo by SEAN KAHLER
making the first team for a second time. Speedy sophomore outfielder Tianna Gonzalez is also on the first team.

The tandem helped the Spartans finish 7-7 in the competitive WAC with a 10-13 overall record. They were downed by third-seeded Yuba City in the opening round of the SJS Division IV playoffs.

Gonzalez was Lathrop’s leading hitter in WAC play, recording a .514 batting average that included a team-high 19 hits, 18 runs, nine RBIs, six doubles, a triple and 15 stolen bases.

De Luna batted .486 with a team-best 15 RBIs. She also plated 15 runs and sported a tidy .983 fielding percentage

Sophomore Kendall Stewart (.472, 13 RBIs) is on the All-WAC second team.

Beyer (12-2, 21-8), Livingston (12-2, 20-9) and Ceres (12-2, 18-8) battled to a three-way share of the title. Beyer pitcher Jordyn Lish is MVP, while Ceres shortstop Ava Montesdeoca was tabbed Offensive Player of the Year. Lish is committed to Utah State, and Montesdeoca to Stanislaus State.