Without shortchanging the importance of any other player during her five seasons at Clovis West High, volleyball coach Rhonda DeRuiter was quick to point out the catalyst behind the program's rise to Central Section prominence after 29 titleless seasons.
It's the player who has so accurately and consistently fed the Golden Eagles' hitters the past four seasons Tulane-bound setter Melody Mandelbaum.
"Mel's really been the anchor of the change in our program," DeRuiter said. "The setter is the quarterback of the team. They are the ones you look to in tough situations to make things happen. And Mel is phenomenal. I don't know what I'm going to do without her."
DeRuiter was brought to Clovis West after winning six Division V titles at Central Valley Christian to deliver the school's first volleyball championship.
And Mandelbaum, who narrowly edged Buchanan middle blocker Chloe Ferrari to become The Bee's Player of the Year, is the person who enabled DeRuiter to install a more complex offense that has produced consecutive Division I championships for the Golden Eagles.
"She was the key to the advancement of our offense. We had her for so long, we were able to take that step by step," DeRuiter said. "I don't want to say she's simply a natural, because that would take away from how hard she works. But she has a feel for the game. She sees things on the other side of the net to know who to set."
Mandelbaum broke in at Clovis West as an admittedly intimidated freshman starter on a team that featured her older sister Mariah as one of its senior leaders.
She leaves the program four years later as Clovis West's career leader in assists (3,878) and digs (917) and with two title rings following a 27-25, 27-25, 16-25, 25-16 victory over Buchanan on Nov. 19 for the Division I crown.
"It feels amazing to see how far everyone has come," Mandelbaum said. "My teammates, the program, even the student section. From my freshman year to my senior year has been a complete 180. It's the greatest thing I could wish for."
Mandelbaum had the blessing of DeRuiter and the Clovis West coaching staff to run the offense as she saw fit this season.
And it produced a section-leading 1,201 assists along with 305 digs and 134 kills.
"She kind of just let me loose," Mandelbaum said. "In a good way I feel I went crazy, just playing to the full potential that I could. You can't have doubts in yourself when you play volleyball. I felt like with [the coaches'] trust and with the trust of my team, I went out and played like I could."
The reporter can also be reached at nickg@fresnobee.com or (559) 622-2407.
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Coach of the Year: Rhonda DeRuiter
