Evan Ballinger, a former player for Ocean Lakes, has stepped into his mentor’s shoes as the Dolphins’ boys volleyball coach
The Ocean Lakes High boys volleyball team showcased solid fundamentals and committed defense for 20 years under coach Heath Boomer.
Now under the leadership of one of Boomer’s former players, Evan Ballinger, the Dolphins play ... the exact same.
“He kept a lot of his drills and motives, so it’s really not too much different,” senior outside hitter Leandro Cortado said. “It’s just he’s a younger, fiery coach and he wants to push us really hard.”
Ocean Lakes (21-3) cruised past visiting Grassfield 25-17, 25-11, 25-18 in a Class 6 Region A quarterfinal Wednesday night.
Ballinger played four years for Boomer, graduating in 2015 and becoming his assistant coach. He spent the previous three seasons as Kempsville’s head coach before learning of Boomer’s intention to step down, ending a storied career that featured three state runner-up finishes.
“To get phone calls,” Ballinger said, “from the great Coach Boomer saying, ‘Hey, I’m stepping down, I think you should apply for this,’ to get a great recommendation letter from him for this job is great. It’s great being back home. It’s big shoes to fill, but I’m trying my best.”
Led by Cortado, primarily a beach volleyball player, the Dolphins have their eyes on the program’s first state title. Besides a late-season setback to First Colonial, their only losses came against undefeated Indian River, the top-ranked team in Hampton Roads most of this season.
“He’s phenomenal,” Ballinger said of Cortado. “The fact he uses not just his athletic ability to push our team to be better but every single day come in, ready to work, helping other guys out. He’s the biggest team-first guy I know.”
Against Grassfield, the Dolphins showed a dominant block and varied attack that utilizes depth over a one-man show.
“One of the main mottos we talk about is getting our chemistry right,” Cortado said. “I think our chemistry this year is the best it’s ever been.”
Behind the scenes, Ballinger preaches progress in all parts of the program.
“I’m big on goals,” he said. “I always tell the kids to think of a goal from the beginning of the season. My goal as a coach every single year is that every single person on my team has progressed from day one to whenever the end of the season is.
“I’m big on individual improvement and I think that’s something I got from Coach Boomer.”
Becoming a high school head coach less than five years after graduation had its challenges.
“It was a slow process,” Ballinger said. “It’s interesting being a head coach that’s closer to age with the high school kids than with teachers. You need to earn their respect. They need to make sure you understand and say this guy knows what he’s talking about.”
The results spoke for themselves as Kempsville transformed into a winning program, paving the way for an Ocean Lakes opportunity.
“I think (Boomer) said besides his wife, I was the only person he told he was stepping down,” Ballinger said. “So we’ve always been super-close and talking constantly. He’s the reason all these boys are so great. The attitude and hard work he instilled in them has carried over and I’m grateful for that.”
Ray Nimmo, ray.nimmo@pilotonline.com
