The Thursday Volleyball Club
Thursday night at Burgess Gym in Menlo Park has played host to one of the longest-lasting volleyball groups in Northern California. The Club started in 1975 and some of the original players are still going strong (or at least they think they are). What used to be referred to as the best volleyball in the area is still safe to be called one of the better places to play. As some of the long-time members begin to retire, or get retired, we should update who's in the Club these days and some of the accomplishments of these players.
The core group of the Club began with some of the original members of Just Volleyball and also the Kings Mountain Fog. Players with Just Volleyball won the National Championship in their age group, as well as the Fog, which not only has claimed the National Championship more than once, but also the Huntsman World Senior Games title in addition to winning the World Championships. The Fog, at the time of this writing, is considered the best 50 and over team in the world. Nationals' accomplishments and All-American awards are listed later in this article.
A number of the original Club Members used to compete in the Open and now play in the seniors' division. Both Just Volleyball and the Fog moved away from NCVA tournaments to weekend age-group specific tournaments to concentrate on national events rather than NorCal events. That leaves defending the honor of Burgess Gym to some of the younger guys at the weekend A and AA tournaments these days.
Just Volleyball (JVB) won the Men's A Gold League and also the A Silver in the past. It was always fun to watch them walk into the gym at a weekend tournament and as they warmed up, you could see the young guys already counting up the wins. The kids would always win the hitting line war, but quite often would come out on the short end of the flipscore when game time rolled around. You always wished you could have put some of the JVB players' hearts and brains into the young guys' bodies. Some of the smarter players would sit back and try to figure out how the heck those old guys beat them, but many of JVB's opponents who were in their 20's and 30's just didn't get it, and never would.
There has been a string of celebrities who have graced the hallowed halls of Burgess over the years: Gary Redenbacher (of popcorn fame), Milt McColl (former SF 49er and Oakland Raider), Dave DeGroot (former UCSB All-American and ex-CAL coach), Craig Lauchner (currently a Club member and former national team member and All-American from Stanford), Brett Monello (Stanford), John Kosty (UCSB and head coach for the Stanford Cardinal), Bill Cole (CAL), Mike Fink (former pro player now living in Switzerland), Carlos Feitosa (Brazilian Olympic team and San Jose Diablos), Arnold Jagle (Brazilian and Israeli National teams, played with JVB at more than one National Championship tournament), Kjell Nielsen (great outdoor player and NorCal AA standout), and Phil Melese (one of the all-time best players in the region). Other guest stars on occasion have included Martin Ume, Kelly Ng, Dave Zimman, Gary Wakai, Bob Grady, Sam Jamieson, Karlis Celle, Tom Schultz, Clint Makino, Ron Kreutner, Steve Feller, Dave Litz, Eric Plett and Johnny Henderson. Rob Patrick (now at UT, with an office down the hallway from Pat Summitt) used to come play when his coaching at Stanford allowed. Craig and Chris Buell (Stanford and Cal Poly) also both took turns visiting for a while. And let's not forget Vahe Petrosian, who is considered by some the best 65+ year old player in the country. And yes, he can still compete with the young guys. A few summers back, Kevin Hansen (U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist) played in the Summer Open League at the Club and also Fletcher Anderson (former Long Beach State and now playing professionally in Europe). Often, former members of the Stanford Men's Volleyball team also participate in the Summer Open League, including Nick Manov, Jesse Meredith and Dan Zhang.
There have only been four members elected to the Burgess Hall of Fame. Jim Pinkerton (All-American with JVB who was selected on his 50th birthday and recently retired), Mike Falco (All-American at the coed nationals, maybe the best blocker inch for inch in NorCal in his time, who was forced to retire from volleyball because of an injury), Scott Geenen (All-American with JVB and one of the founding fathers/original members of the Burgess Volleyball Club. They say if you can only play one game of volleyball in your life, play it with Scotty--although that advice is a little late since in early 2009 Scotty said he was hanging them up) and Eric Winston (All-American with JVB who moved to Utah). The first Thursday of every month is JP Night in honor of Jim and the winning team that evening receives a free pitcher at the Oasis. In honor of Mike, first time guests are under a Falco Scholarship and get to play for free. To honor Scotty, he always got to start the hitting lines each night by being the first to spike a ball. And there still seems to be an occasional toast to Eric, or at Eric, over at the Oasis after the Club. Scotty retired after winning Gold with John Stanley and the Legends at the 2008 Nationals in Atlanta.
Some former members: Tony LeFebre and George Reddan moved out of the area. We miss seeing those guys, along with Len Sherman and Shane Fields, who retired. Tony could beat you in a lot of different ways. George was also a very good all-around player and one of the premier back-row players in the region, bar-none. George has traveled from Idaho to join up with the Fog at the Huntsman Games and the Nationals as well as Tony, who is establishing himself as one of the top liberos in the age groups. Len was a fine setter and a very supportive teammate while Shane could hit a real heavy ball when he was healthy. Long-time member Eric Bell retired due to various injuries and family obligations. Eric was always known as a good jumper, good server, good competitor and coached juniors for a while. Some other former Club members: Roman Darewych played at the Club for a few years. He was from Canada and then moved to Australia. After Roman began playing with us, we noticed how each week he seemed to play better and better. After a while, we all came to the conclusion that we just didn't realize how good of a player he was when we first met him. Roman was one of the most well-liked players ever at Burgess (right up there with Christoph from Germany, a great middle blocker) and we all miss him. Roman could play some ball and even more importantly, hold his own at the Oasis. Amar Varma was working his way up the guest list to join the Club until he took a job in Canada. We enjoy his occasional visits. Daria Graham reminded me recently that there used to be some female players in the Club. Daria, a good setter, digger and passer being the last one. Sue Holmes, one of the best outdoor players not long ago and Kim McDonald of UOP fame used to play, as did several others who ended up getting married and moved on with their careers and families.
Original and current members of the Burgess Volleyball Club include the previously mentioned Scott Geenen and Jim Pinkerton. Also: Dave Brodhead (that last sideout was provided by Dave's 17,465th career tool off the blockers' hands, although Dave has curtailed his attendance to mostly appearances before upcoming Nationals); Paul Mannheimer (Paul's in the Club because he is a terrific passer and digger, good all-around player and he has a nice family--son Sam comes and practices his serving at times); Major Moise (member of Just Volleyball, opponents have had to deal with his serve and cross-court attack for a long time, though he moved out of the area a while back, Major still visits on occasion to help prepare for Nationals); Greg Close (the glue that keeps the Fog together, responsible for much of the success of the senior teams in this region, currently on hiatus traveling and living in Hawaii); Ken Toy (great athlete, keeps the old guys working hard and now that a few years have passed, does the same thing to the real young guys); Michael Graham (superb all-around player, continues to receive awards and accolades for his setting accomplishments with the Fog); Terry Troy (he can hammer with the best of them and outlift most); Ron Young (who has retired but it was once said that two-thirds of the earth's surface was covered by water, the other third by Ron Young); Scott Bridge (he can do it all: Set, hit outside, used to block middle when he was younger and he can still lead the way at the "O"); Dave Unietis (outside hitter for the Fog who has led them to many victories and gained notoriety as one of the top opposites in the age groups); Phil Coyle (coach, teacher and all-around player--the kind of guy you want on your team, although taking a break from volleyball at the current time); Craig Lauchner (former All-American at Stanford and a member of the U.S. National Team, Craig can set, hit outside or block middle--still one of the best players ever in Northern California); Rick Hoopes (former high-jump champion and middle blocker wh could hang with the young guys and always one of the best choices to have on your side of the net. Rick probably had the best winning percentage of anyone at the Club. We lost a great player and a great friend when Rick passed away); Kirk Anderson (who considers himself the luckiest guy in the region for getting to play with these guys every week--plus he owns all the volleyballs so they have to let him play); Ralph Conway (fills whatever role you need on your team and will play the game a foot higher than you expect him to); John Hindenach (JVB middle blocker who used to toy with the young guys; well-known all over the country as one of the true gentlemen in the game of volleyball although we haven't seen John out on the court in a while); Max Kernaghan (doesn't play at the Club anymore but we still get to see those good hands of his at the age-group tournaments); Ric Munds (in his prime, Ric could hit outside with anyone in the region--got married and moved out of the area but I bet he could still bring it); Doug Menke (talented and athletic middle blocker--where else would a Deadhead play except middle for Six Rivers and the Fog?); Jimmy Fong (one of the legends in this region, his influence touched many. Continued to coach and and teach even after his Club days and playing career were cut short due to injuries); Mal Taylor (a key member of JVB and a former coach, Mal is a great guy to play with and understands the mental aspects of the game as well as any. He's cut back on his playing while teaching the classes now at Burgess and he's missed); Frank Fredericksen (one of the outside hitters for the Fog who can beat you in the backrow as well as at the net); Eric Winston (somehow he beats you; you don't know how and you don't know why, but he still does it and does it well--moved to Utah--someone's gain, someone's loss); Peter Bins (one of the better athletes at the Club and a very good middle blocker and hitter, brings a lot of enthusiasm to the Thursday games); Sean Graham (can play any position well, just ask him--he adds a lot of energy when he's healthy); Robert Markert (member of JVB, it was fun to watch a guy get better as he got older, and he was very good to begin with); Ivan Posva (one of the European guys who has brought up the level of the Club--solid middle player who can dominate a game); Mike Fitzner (another player from Europe who could bring some serious left-handed heat until he left for the riches of Microsoft up in Seattle); Olivier LeChenne (a nice man and a good ball player who can do it all--his training in Europe has given him some great ball-handling skills); Aini Nollendorfs (for many years, one of the best middles in the region--he could play with any 5 players at the Club and make them contenders--left for New York and we're sorry he did); Jeff Couthren (hard hitter, good passer, brings a lot of energy and fun to the Club and also importantly, to the Oasis afterwards); Bryan Garbo (from Cal Poly, talk about a talented young guy who could bring the energy level up when he walked into the gym--good hitter and great passer--we now have to share him with his growing family); Brian Fitzpatrick (another former Cal Poly player, great all-around talent who everyone wants to play with, but his family comes first these days); Dylan Herrick (UOP grad, one of the hardest hitters around and although he moved up to SF and we rarely see him, we can still hear him rattling the bleachers up there on some of his spikes); Chuck Fannin (long-time player at the Club whose 6'10" presence at the net goes hand in hand with being one of the truly nice guys around, thank goodness); Robert Hundt (one of the Euro players, Robert played in the Bundesliga in Germany. What's the German phrase for "A huge force at the net?"); Mike Biagini (Longtime NCVA AA captain and player, good outside hitter, fine passer and an even nicer guy); Mario Ruiz (former collegiate setter in his younger days and then with the CAL Men's Club team recently); Matt Piazza (former UC Santa Cruz middle who has helped bring more talent and fun to the Club in recent years--Matt moved back to Michigan but rumor has it in early 2009 that he's returning this Spring); and Matt Harrell (Matt was the newest member at the time of this previous writing--updating now in 2009 Matt hasn't been lucky with injuries so he hasn't played in a while. When he did, after graduating as a middle from UC Davis, he made a lot of the guys at the Club reach a lot higher on those cross court hits). Catching up on the new Club Members over the past couple of years: Dave Lehman (Can play either middle or outside, always plays hard, great addition to the Club when his family duties allow); Anton Peng (One of the younger guys who keeps everyone on their toes with his big jump, outside hitting and superb passing and digging--Anton makes us all feel a lot older); Nathan Moyer (Just when we were starting to run low on middles, Nathan saved the day--good blocker, good hitter, fun guy to play with and he's great at the O); Alex Mohr (Another one of the young middles who makes it tougher for the opposing hitters, Alex has a big jump, long arms and plays the game a foot higher than most); Peter Graham (Makes the long drive down from Novato each week and we're glad he does--Peter plays with the Fog and helped them to a Gold Medal at the 2008 Huntsman Games behind his outside hitting and fine court play, one of the really nice guys in the Club); Marius Schilder (Yet another Euro player who dominates in the middle with his long arms and good court vision, Marius brings a higher level of competition to the Club when he's out there); Yan Margulis (One of everyone's favorite teammates, Yan's one of the Euro guys with a great all-around game and can hit the ball very hard while he also beats you with his play on defense); and finally Peter Tarabas (Bringing the Euro population at the Club up one more and bringing the level of play up with his great vertical jump and fun, yet competitive attitude).
In late 2010, as we update this page, Peter has moved out of the area to pursue business opportunities and we miss him. Matt Piazza has returned and we hope to get him away from his chiropractic practice on occasion. New Club members include Brian Belding (former UOP middle and outside who helps remind us that there's a difference between Northern California "good" and Division 1 "good"); Bill Cole (former AA standout and professional player in Europe); Bryon McIntyre (Foothill and NorCal AA standount); Arne Stokstad (when he's blocking middle those long arms of his keeps just about every hitter in the gym honest); and Prem Shankar (he seems to get better every week and brings a great attitude that gives me faith our Thursdays might be able to continue for a while).
Some of the guests who have been showing up lately: Danny Bishop, a young middle from UC Davis; Billy Fowler (maybe the best all-around player in the gym on any given night although he certainly doesn't give the other team anything); James Gable (willing to play OH, libero or set -- valuable guy to have there each night -- just ask him). The guests' attendance, along with some of the new Club members, has raised the caliber of play at the Clulb to a very respectable level. Still trying to get the Geenen sons (Robin and Mike) to join the Club eventually. And where's Jason Trip when you need him? A good guy and skilled player who is busy following his coaching career, but we sure like it when he stops by. Had a cameo appearance by Andy Choy last week, possibly the best backrow player in the region.
Each week, it's games for fun on Thursdays at Burgess. During the summer, the Club turns into the IVL Men's Open League. The best ball around outside of a Men's AA tournament. During the rest of the year, guests can play at the Club but they need to be brought, or recommended, by a Club member. The Club went to rally scoring when the rules changed and although it took a while to get adjusted (we miss those great comebacks) it has eliminated those long games that held up both courts. Every Thursday, the members sign up with whoever they want to, or whoever will have them. Some people float around, some play with the same team each week. With two courts at Burgess Gym, there's a winner's court and a challenge court. Although it's all for fun, games can be pretty competitive especially when there are 5 teams (and sometimes 6). No wants to lose on the challenge court because you have to sit out. The best thing about the Club is that it's good volleyball without people being jerks about it. Not to sound old-fashioned, but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule these days.
Some of the members say it's the spirit of the Club that has kept it going all these years, and others say going to the Oasis Restaurant in Menlo Park afterwards has been the key. Cornelius took care of us for many years, then it was Bobby, then Francisco and now Bobby again (and Alecia). I do know one thing and that is I wish there were more opportunities for people to play in something like the Burgess Volleyball Club. The sport of volleyball would only be better for it.
2010 Update: On October 21, we played our last night at Burgess Gym. It's being torn down and rebuilt into a gymnastics center. Some of the guys brought 36 bottles of beer over to the Oasis parking lot where we had a toast for each of the 36 years that Burgess happened. On October 28, the Club moved into the new Arrillaga Family Gymnasium just across the parking lot. Beautiful 3 court facility. The two outside nets drop down from the ceiling and don't even anchor to the floor. They're suspended in air. Quite an upgrade for a bunch of volleyball players.
We started selecting a Club MVP in recent years. The criteria was basically "Someone who makes the games better and is also fun to play with."
The winners:
2010 Olivier LeChenne
2011 Brian Belding & Bryan McIntyre
2012 Anton Peng
2013 Nathan Royer
2014 Frank Fredericksen and Alex Gordon
The KINGS MOUNTAIN FOG pulled off the trifecta in 2005, winning the USA Nationals in Denver, the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah and the World Championships in Edmonton defeating former World and Olympic Champion Poland in the finals.
2001 Silver Medal
2002 Gold Medal
2003 Gold Medal
2004 Gold Medal
2005 Bronze Medal
2006 4th Place
2009 Bronze Medal
2001 Gold Medal
2002 Silver Medal
2003 4th Place
2004 Gold Medal
2005 Gold Medal
2006 Silver Medal
2007 Bronze Medal
2008 Bronze Medal
2009 Gold Medal
2005 Silver Medal
2006 Silver Medal
2007 Gold Medal
2008 Silver Medal
2009 Gold Medal
2010 Silver Medal
2011 Gold Medal
2012 Gold Medal
2013 Silver Medal
2014 Gold Medal
2015 Silver Medal
2009 Silver Medal
2010 Silver Medal
2011 Gold Medal
2012 Gold Medal
2013 Gold Medal
2014 Gold Medal
2015 Gold Medal
Michael Graham has been named MVP on more than one occasion, including 2012 at the Nationals in Salt Lake City. Dave Unietis was selected MVP of the 55's at the 2011 Nationals in Dallas. Frank Fredericksen was named MVP of the 60's at the 2013 Nationals in Louisville. Also named to the All-American team from among the Burgess/Arrillaga players: Greg Close and Rick Hoopes.
2003 Silver Medal
2004 Gold Medal
2005 Gold Medal
2006 Gold Medal (Global Cup)
2008 Silver Medal (Global Cup)
2004 Silver Medal
2005 Gold Medal
2006 Gold Medal
2007 Silver Medal
2008 Gold Medal
2010 Gold Medal
2011 Gold Medal
2012 Gold Medal
2013 Silver Medal
2014 Silver Medal
2010 Gold Medal
2011 Silver Medal
2012 Gold Medal
2013 Gold Medal
2014 Gold Medal
A summary of JUST VOLLEYBALL'S move into the 55's and 60's, after having been one of the two most successful age group teams of all time in the 45's and 50's.
2000 Gold Medal
2001 Silver Medal
2002 Silver Medal
2003 Gold Medal
2004 Silver Medal
2008 Gold Medal* (Scotty Geenen, playing with the Legends, beat Mal Taylor
and Major Moise's team in the finals.)
Jon Stanley has won the MVP twice while playing with Just Volleyball and the following players have all been selected All-American at one time or another: John Hindenach, Scott Geenen, Robert Markert, Major Moise, Jim Pinkerton, Vahe Petrosian, Mal Taylor and Eric Winston.
2002 First Year (coach: Phil Coyle)
2003 Bronze Medal (coach: Phil Coyle)
2006 Gold Medal (coach: Kim Oden)
2008 Bronze Medal (coach: Julia Fannin)
All-Americans for the 40's have included Joerg Bertholdt, Craig Lauchner and Aini Nollendorfs.
Chuck Fannin is the organizer for the Burgess 45's and 50's teams.
2009 Bronze Medal
2011 4th
2012 1st Silver Div. Nationals
2013 7th place
2014 9th place Nationals
2015 Lost in Silver Finals
2011 4th at Huntsman Games
2012 1st Silver Div. Nationals
2012 Bronze medal at the Huntsman Games
2013 Bronze medal Nationals
2013 Silver medal at the Huntsman Games
2014 Bronze Medal at the Huntsman Games
2015 5th place at the Nationals
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