The 2023-24 high school boys volleyball season may be over for Manteca but the accolades are still rolling in for its senior outside hitter Julio Mateo.
After shining for the Buffaloes this season and close to 30,000 votes, Mateo has been named the first-ever RecordNet’s Fan’s Choice Boys Volleyball Player of the Year.
“It feels good to be named the Player of the Year, but I didn’t really expect it,” Mateo said. “I was like 50/50 on if I would be in the running for something like this because at the beginning of the season, I wasn’t playing my best but I picked it up and got it together.”
Honing his skill
When Mateo began his volleyball career at Manteca in his sophomore year he was green to the sport.
That didn’t last long though as he took up club volleyball after his sophomore season playing for Rage Club Volleyball out of Ripon, CA during the off-season. By the time he returned for his junior campaign, his improvements were undeniable.
“You can really tell the boys who are investing outside of just the school season with their time and their talents just wanting to improve their skills,” said Jennifer Reis Manteca boys’ volleyball head coach. “Julio is one of those players. He is really dedicated to our club, to playing club volleyball and taking his game to the next level.”
Mateo’s burning desire to be a better player translated in his senior campaign. He played a vital role in the Buffaloes' impressive 20-4 overall record and 9-1 first-place finish in the Valley Oak League. During his team’s April 17 matchup against Sierra to decide the VOL championship, Mateo racked up nine kills and three blocks as they secured a 3-2 victory.
The senior followed that up with his best offensive game of the season against Ripon Christian on April 19. He finished with a career-high 19 kills while hitting close to 40% from the field. He was the catalyst for Manteca’s 3-2 dub over the Knights.
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“It was senior night, we went to five sets and we were struggling passing-wise but I felt like we pulled it together,” Mateo said. “I knew my family was there watching me so I felt like I couldn’t disappoint them so I had to go all out. I’ve had games with, like, 15 kills before, but never this many.”
Mateo continued to be a key asset to the Buffaloes' offense throughout the season helping them earn a spot on the Sac-Joaquin Section boys volleyball playoff Division 2 bracket. They hosted Merced in the first round and the senior was near unstoppable giving the Bears more than they could handle.
He finished with a team-high 12 kills and two blocks leading Manteca to a 3-1 win.
The game he loves
Despite having momentum from their first-round matchup, the Buffaloes couldn’t keep it up in the quarterfinals against Del Oro. The Buffaloes would go on to be upset by the Golden Eagles losing the match 3-1, ending their 2023-24 season.
“Playoffs are hard, you know, our area is still relatively new to boys' volleyball when compared to the Sacramento area schools and so it is harder to compete and go deep in the playoffs,” Reis said. “But I feel like we’re closing the gap and we’re excited about that. Julio was kind of the one leading the charge and helping us get more competitive.”
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Mateo’s passion for volleyball helped the Buffaloes make an SJS playoff appearance and win the VOL championship for three years straight, every year he’s played for them. With three years of high school volleyball and two years of club volleyball experience under his belt, he’s garnered interest from NAIA and NCAA DIII level programs.
The senior currently has offers from Bryn Athyn College and Pacific Union College and will be making his final decision in the coming weeks about where he will take his talents next. Until then, Mateo will close out his final days as a Buffalo following his impactful career to help put their boys' volleyball program on the map.
“My time playing volleyball just proves that, like, you can’t just go out and mess around and not take the sport seriously,” Mateo said. “I feel like if you really take it seriously, practice, better yourself, and focus on the fundamentals you can compete with teams that are better than you.”
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow .
This article originally appeared on The Record: Manteca's Julio Mateo is named RecordNet's Fan Fav Boys Volleyball POTY
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