Ruben Galvan’s first mission as Solon volleyball coach: Enhance the chemistry

CEDAR RAPIDS — Ruben Galvan would have been more than content to finish his volleyball coaching career at West Liberty.

A young voice persuaded him elsewhere. His granddaughter’s voice.

“She’s an eighth-grader (at Solon Middle School), and the opportunity to finish my career with her ... it’s been a dream of mine — of both of ours — to eventually finish with her.”

That’s down the road a bit. Now, Galvan’s mission is to turn a culture.

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“It’s a different coaching style. He’s kind of old-school,” Solon senior Grace Erwin said. “But it’s better for us. We need somebody who is hard on us. It’s good for our team.”

Solon earned a second-place finish at the Warrior Invitational volleyball tournament Saturday at Washington High School. Class 4A top-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier stopped the Spartans in the championship match, 21-18, 21-11.

They’re coming along, Galvan said.

“Coming into the program, I wasn’t very impressed with team chemistry,” he said. “There were a lot of individuals. Our intensity has gotten a lot better. It’s a matter of making everybody accountable.”

Solon (7-2) was one of three teams — Linn-Mar and Johnston were the others — that went 3-1 in Pool B. The Spartans advanced to the championship match based on a superior set record to the Lions and the Dragons.

Xavier (8-0), on the other hand, had only one real moment of truth. It came in the Saints’ final pool match.

Trailing Cedar Rapids Kennedy 19-17 in the second set, the Saints polished off the match with the final four points and won, 21-15, 21-19.

“It was all about resetting and responding,” Xavier’s Carley Jonker said. “We needed to take care of business like we know how to do.”

Down 15-14 in the first set of the championship match, the Saints scored five straight points, then led throughout Game 2.

Kennedy, which came into Saturday at 0-5, won three of five pool matches.

Ranked No. 9 in Class 3A, Solon begins Wamac Conference East Division action Tuesday at No. 1 Mount Vernon.

“Every night in this league, it’s going to be a struggle,” Galvan said.

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Warrior Invitational Volleyball Tournament

At C.R. Washington

POOL A

Teams — 1. C.R. Xavier 5-0, 2. (tie) C.R. Kennedy and Dubuque Senior 3-2, 4. Oskaloosa 2-3, 5. (tie) C.R. Jefferson and Davenport Central 1-4.

C.R. Xavier def. Oskaloosa, 21-14, 21-9

C.R. Kennedy def. C.R. Jefferson, 22-20, 21-19

Dubuque Senior def. Davenport Central, 21-10, 21-13

C.R. Xavier def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-9, 21-6

C.R. Kennedy def. Dubuque Senior, 21-7, 21-18

Davenport Central def. Oskaloosa, 16-21, 21-15, 15-13

C.R. Xavier def. Davenport Central, 21-10, 21-8

Oskaloosa def. C.R. Kennedy, 15-21, 21-19, 16-15

C.R. Xavier def. Dubuque Senior, 21-9, 21-14

Oskaloosa def. C.R. Jefferson, 21-10, 21-18

C.R. Kennedy def. Davenport Central, 21-12, 21-18

Dubuque Senior def. Oskaloosa, 21-10, 21-15

C.R. Jefferson def. Davenport Central, 21-7, 21-16

C.R. Xavier def. C.R. Kennedy, 21-15, 21-19

POOL B

Teams — 1. (tie) Solon, Johnston and Linn-Mar 3-1, 4. Davenport North 1-3, 5. C.R. Washington 0-4.

Linn-Mar def. Davenport North, 17-21, 21-7, 15-3

Johnston def. C.R. Washington, 21-10, 21-14

Linn-Mar def. C.R. Washington, 21-18, 21-18

Solon def. Johnston, 21-13, 21-17

Linn-Mar def. Solon, 12-21, 21-16, 15-13

Davenport North def. C.R. Washington, 21-16, 23-21

Johnston def. Linn-Mar, 21-17, 14-21, 15-10

Solon def. Davenport North, 21-10, 21-17

Johnston def. Davenport North, 21-9, 21-8

Solon def. C.R. Washington, 21-5, 21-5

CHAMPIONSHIP

C.R. Xavier def. Solon, 21-18, 21-11

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Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com