Saratoga star packs plenty of punch
At 6-foot-5, Joel Schneidmiller did not have to do much to stand out on Saratoga’s volleyball team.
Only one player on the roster came within three inches of matching the junior’s height.
But Schneidmiller, who has already committed to play for UC Irvine, did far more than just stand around. The power hitter led the nation in kills (770) and hitting percentage (62.8) this season while leading Saratoga to Central Coast Section and Northern California Division II championships.
For this, he is the Mercury News boys volleyball player of the year.
“He’s a dynamic player, the go-to player on the team,” Monta Vista coach Paul Chiu said. “They live and die with Joel.”
Schneidmiller was simply dominant when Saratoga rallied to beat Leigh in four sets for the CCS title, finishing with 37 kills, one off his season high.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever played quite that well, especially in a highintense situation,” Schneidmiller said that night. “It was fun.”
When the teams met again for the NorCal championship, Schneidmiller led the way with 24 kills as Saratoga prevailed in straight sets.
“He’s the backbone of the team,” Saratoga coach Jason Cardoso said. “He really does know how to turn a game around. He did that in the CCS finals.”
Cardoso tried to manage Schneidmiller’s hitting as a baseball manager does with pitch counts, not wanting to wear out the big guy’s arm.
But when needed, make no mistake: Schneidmiller delivered.