Daily Journal Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year: Aragon’s Santiago Smirnoff

Smirnoff was among the three final survivors until he was eliminated in disheartening fashion, in a manner in which he still isn’t ready to talk about. The “Katniss Everdeen” of Aragon’s senior class ultimately proved to be Hannah Qutteineh, who won the epic game within hours of Aragon’s graduation.

“They played it well,” Smirnoff said of Qutteineh and sidekick Gabby Xiao who, despite being eliminated, helped the champ knock him off. “They won it. Respect to them.”

Smirnoff will have to take solace in the fact he has been named Daily Journal Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year.

The four-year varsity setter was the last man standing in CCS Division I, leading Aragon to the title Saturday, May 16, with a 25-21, 23-25, 25-19, 25-22 victory over Mountain View. The Dons went on to qualify for the CIF Northern California regional playoffs for the second time in three years, falling in the Division II opener in a five-set thriller at Laguna Creek-Elk Grove 25-20, 25-27, 21-25, 25-21, 15-13.

With the Nor Cal loss ended one of the great careers in Aragon boys’ volleyball history, as Smirnoff piloted the Dons to a program-record 33 wins and their first Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division championship (a shared title with Carlmont) since 2017.

“Probably one of our best players,” Aragon head coach Meliame Hala’ufia said. “We’ve probably only had a few before him. But definitely up there. And it will probably be noticeable next year when we don’t have him.”

Smirnoff and Hala’ufia have something in common, as they are both children of volleyball coaches. Hala’ufia’s mother Diean served as the Aragon boys’ volleyball head coach 2016-24, with her daughter serving as an assistant until the two swapped roles last season. In addition to her role as boys’ volleyball assistant coach, Diean is a longtime assistant for Aragon girls’ volleyball.

Both of Smirnoff’s parents are volleyball coaches. His mother Grace ran the program at Carlmont in 2022 and ’23, until stepping away to coach club volleyball exclusively. Smirnoff’s father Sergio took over the girls’ volleyball program at Carlmont, and has coached there for the past two seasons, as well as coaching at Bay to Bay Volleyball Club in Campbell, where Grace also coaches, and Santiago Smirnoff plays for the 18U squad.

Committed to play at the reinstated men’s volleyball program at University of the Pacific next season, Smirnoff is still immersed in the club volleyball season with Bay to Bay. His 18U team leaves for Orlando, Florida this week, where they will compete in the AAU Boys Junior National Volleyball Championships, July 3-6, at the Orange County Convention Center.

“We’ve still got that competitive drive,” Smirnoff said. “Our club’s got high standards. We’re going to all keep grinding. ... This is one of our last opportunities to compete together, and compete at the club level, so we’re all just excited to get after it.”

While Aragon quickly experienced a seismic shift in its boys’ volleyball program soon after Smirnoff walked into the gym for the first day of tryouts freshman year, he too underwent a quick change with the Dons. As a club volleyball libero through middle school, Smirnoff was supremely focused on defense.

Hala’ufia said she remembers the day because Smirnoff, as a freshman, reported for junior-varsity tryouts. That lasted for one day. Well, part of one day, to be exact.

“He was down at the JV court and, just watching him, we were just like: ‘Oh, you have to move over to the varsity court after that,’” Hala’ufia said.

That’s when Aragon’s coaching staff posed a question that would impact the rest of Smirnoff’s volleyball career. Since the Dons were looking for a setter, the coaches asked for volunteers to drive the offense. Smirnoff’s hand went up immediately.

“It was good to see because I think, at the time, that’s what we needed,” Hala’ufia said. “And then it worked out. Each year he got better and helped the team out that way.”

Smirnoff went on to become a well-rounded weapon. Not only did he lead the Dons with over 750 assists as a senior (despite Aragon running a 6-2 offense for most of the year, rotating in junior setters Abnik Singh and Jeremy Lim, Smirnoff still totaled more assists than the rest of the team combined), he also ranked first in service points, service aces and blocks. The all-around defense remained crisp, as he ranked second on the team in digs; only junior libero Peyton Chiang had more.

“I think I am still a very defensive player,” Smirnoff said. “I take a lot of pride in that.”

As an attacking setter, Smirnoff also ranked third on the team in kills. He made Aragon’s deep arsenal of attackers better, as well.

“I just think his growth from that part to his senior year really helped,” Hala’ufia said. “You could see how much he improved in his game and being able to lead everybody ... and getting everybody onboard.”

A student of the game who constantly scouts opponents on film prior to matches, Smirnoff understood the strengths of each of his attackers, and how to set them accordingly — junior outside hitter Tyler Rivera, a tempo player with a heavy swing and a keen eye for dissecting the opposing block; senior outside hitter Ailesh Chauhan, a deliberate attacker with serious ups and a knack for winning jousts; senior opposite Benjamin Cheng, a sharp line swinger who could also tool a block; and senior opposite Charlie Wilcox, another high-flyer who could pivot to the middle.

And, of course, Smirnoff’s bread-and-butter was setting his middles — senior Cameron Ngai and junior Raghav Vemulapalli, both fast and agile, and uncannily interchangeable, along with senior Luca Mangano, though he missed the last month of the season due to injury.

“I think that all of us had a lot of team chemistry,” Smirnoff said. “We were all friends outside of volleyball ... and we all just got after it in the practices as well.”

Still, Smirnoff drew upon his experience as an old libero to channel one of his best skills as a setter. A former back-row defender himself, he was deadly at reading defenders, and picking them apart.

“I was like: ‘Cool, I know how to defend,’” Smirnoff said. “‘So, now I understand how other people defend.’”