Harbor outside hitter Cooper Lastition named MVP | 2026 All-SCCAL boys volleyball
Harbor High 6-foot-4 senior outside hitter Cooper Lastition was a driving force behind the Pirates' boys volleyball team's success this season, and league coaches rewarded his showing by naming him the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League's MVP.
Lastition helped the Pirates (32-7 overall, 12-0), the SCCAL runner-up the previous four seasons, secure their first league title since 2009 and qualify for the Central Coast Section playoffs. The 2025 Division II section champion was placed in the prestigious Open Division for the first time, advanced to the semifinals, and earned a repeat berth into the CIF NorCal Regional playoffs.
"Cooper is the kind of player every coach wants in the program," Pirates coach Kendall Ronzano said. "He has a hammer of an arm and can score from virtually any spot on the court. His offensive presence forces opponents to adjust and creates openings and opportunities for everyone around him."
In 36 matches and 97 sets, Lastition totaled 421 kills, 243 digs, 33 aces, 28 blocks, and 21 assists.
"What stands out just as much as his stats is the respect he's earned from his teammates," Ronzano said. "When we evaluate captaincy candidates, we ask players to identify teammates with specific leadership qualities - consistency, dependability, and steadiness under pressure. Cooper exemplifies those qualities and helped lead us to CCS Open Division and the state tourney. His teammates trust him and know exactly what they're going to get from him every day. Whether the moment is routine or high-pressure, he brings the same level of focus, competitiveness, and composure. That's a big part of what makes him such a valuable player and so deserving of this recognition."
Mount Madonna senior outside hitter/opposite Nikowa D'Costa-Hemp was honored with the Mark Brewer Award for being "a positive presence and role model who made an impact across the league."
Mount Madonna's PK McDonald, named 2026 Coach of the Year by his peers, said D'Costa-Hemp had friends and club teammates on teams across the league, which "added to his competitiveness, respect, and sportsmanship" the entire season.
D'Costa-Hemp led the Hawks to their best season since 2019. He led the CCS with 6.7 kills per set for the season, base on statistics published on maxpreps.com.
D'Costa-Hemp helped the Hawks push Harbor and Santa Cruz to five sets and recorded a career-high 37 kills against San Lorenzo Valley on April 14.
SCCAL runner-up Santa Cruz (25-12, 10-2), which went on to win the CCS D-II and NorCal and CIF State D-III titles, had three players named to the first team: Senior libero Lucas Kamalani, junior outside hitter/opposite Matty Rayray and junior middle blocker Guillermo Mazier.
Harbor and third-place Mount Madonna (18-14, 8-4), the CCS D-II semifinalist, each had two players named to the first team. Senior middle blocker Grady McKee and senior outside hitter/opposite Josh Rejfir were honored for the Pirates, and D'Costa Hemp and junior setter Solomon Coleman made it for the Hawks.
2026 ALL-SCCAL BOYS VOLLEYBALL
SPECIAL HONORS
MVP – Cooper Lastition (Harbor), Sr.
Mark Brewer Award: Nikowa D'Costa-Hemp (Mount Madonna), Sr.
Coach of the Year: PK McDonald (Mount Madonna)
FIRST TEAM
Solomon Coleman (Mount Madonna), Jr., setter
Lucas Kamalani (Santa Cruz), Sr., libero
Guillermo Mazier (Santa Cruz), Jr., middle blocker
Grady McKee (Harbor), Sr., MB
Nikowa D'Costa Hemp (Mount Madonna), Sr., OH/oppo
Matty Rayray (Santa Cruz), Jr., OH/oppo
Josh Rejfir (Harbor), Sr., OH/oppo
SECOND TEAM
David Monclus (Mount Madonna), Jr., – OH/oppo
Rocklin Paco (Harbor), Jr.,- Setter
Charlie Hess (Santa Cruz), Sr., – OH/oppo
Keoni Raatior (Soquel) So., OH/oppo
Zach Livingston Shults (SLV), So., OH/oppo
Xavier Knight (SLV), Sr., MB
Ryan Wait (Harbor), Sr., libero
HONORABLE MENTION
Hans Hagge (Mount Madonna), Sr.; James Lagerwey (Aptos), Sr., Sean Mullen (Aptos), Sr.; Thomas Obrero (Soquel), Sr., Johnny Abbott (Soquel), Jr.; Guillermo Mazier Bittar (Santa Cruz), Nathan Monroe (Santa Cruz); Troy Thompson (Scotts Valley), Sr., Will Shanks (Scotts Valley), Sr.; Zack King (SLV), Sr., Hunter Lallemand (SLV), Sr.; JJ Laughlin (Harbor), Jr., Freddie Morgali (Harbor), Sr.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.