Veitas brings West Coast with him to Newton North
Almost 3,000 miles removed from his roots near the beaches of San Diego, Newton North star senior Kaz Veitas didn’t want to lose too much of what he grew up around when he moved to Massachusetts as a sophomore back in 2019.
Dreaming of that warm weather, he refused to swap the shorts for pants throughout most of that first winter. He hasn’t sacrificed the style, rocking the surfer-boy flow two years later. And after a lifetime of playing volleyball on the California sand every week with his parents, he still has his favorite sport — even though it isn’t nearly as popular here.
“I could easily choose between 10 different clubs to play (for) when I was there that were all within 30 minutes from my house and were all at a very, very high level. Here, there’s maybe
one or two nationally competitive clubs that I could actually play at,” said Veitas, who plays for the top team within the Smash Volleyball club. “Volleyball was really big (toward settling in after the move). … It just gave me a really good baseline group of friends.”
It’s no secret how elite California is within the men’s volleyball community.
Those clubs around Veitas’ roots are some of the best in the country. Veitas remembers how his former high school (San Diego Academy) had a handful of players within reach of playing for top Div. 1 collegiate teams, and each of the last four NCAA Div. 1 national champions’ rosters were composed of players from the state.
Still, new Tigers head coach Nile Fox was a bit taken aback when the senior told him he didn’t stack up to the state’s top players when he left San Diego. Veitas has done nothing but dominate since he got here, quickly establishing a top role for Smash and for Newton North over the last couple seasons.
A big part of his impact comes from his growth over the last couple years, playing alongside some of the other top players in Massachusetts. Whether or not he’d rank among the best in his former state now (like he believes he would), his roots play a big part too.
“I sort of got the experience of at least knowing high-level volleyball, what the highest level looks like (in California),” Veitas said. “I went to tournaments and watched the top teams play. … I really fell in love with the sport, and I sort of dropped every other thing and focused on my game in volleyball.”
Led by Veitas and budding star Adam Christianson, the Tigers are a legitimate contender in search of their first state title, too.
An early four-game losing streak put Newton North on its heels a bit as it struggled to stay healthy, but has since gone 8-2 to rank No. 11 in the latest MIAA Div. 1 power rankings. That includes huge wins over fellow top teams Natick and Brookline, which Fox says were huge in showing what the Tigers are capable of.
Veitas has starred. “He’s just been the glue for the team, really,” Fox said. “Having one of the best players in the state is always a plus. He’s almost like having an assistant coach because his knowledge is so great.”
Side-outs
• New Bedford has gone 7-2 since falling to 3-5, including a win over signature foe Greater New Bedford to reverse its season. Captain Kishan Patel and Ryan Dosenber each have hit well to lead the group, ranked No. 16 in the MIAA Div. 1 rankings. “The guys have been motivated to prove they belong with the other contenders in the state,” said coach Ben Kaeterle.
• Competition in the Boston area is on the rise. Malden’s win over O’Bryant extended its winning streak to 13 match while ending the Tigers’ at 12 streak, and both rank within the top-15 in the latest Div. 1-2 rankings. Revere and Somerville, both 125, also fare well.
• The Commonwealth Athletic Conference race comes down to the wire between Greater Lowell and Lowell Catholic, with the two facing off on Tuesday to decide the crown. Gryphons search their first undefeated stretch in CAC play ever, currently leading the crop at 10-0.