The Moorpark Raiders Mens volleyball team only has two returning players, and they were given the job of leading the new team. Brandon Kohler, middle blocker, and Jose Rojas, defensive specialist, are co-captains of the young Raider team.

The choice was obvious for coach Steve Burkhart, going with the only two returning players he had. They may have been the only choice, but that doesn’t mean they also weren’t ready.

“[To] keep freshmen focused is a tough job,”said Burkhart, who is pleased with his captains’ performances on and off the court, “[They] fuel the chemistry of the team.”

Kohler enjoys being captain, even though it makes him feel a bit older, “I feel like a dad a lot of the time,” he said. But unlike a dad, he tries to make the team feel like a community, where everyone has a voice, not only him and Rojas.

The captains are dedicated to the team and are ready and willing to do whatever is necessary to help it succeed.The hard work the captains put in doesn’t stop when practice is over, “[Rojas] and I stay after practice doing the extra stuff” said Kohler. This season is the hardest he has ever practiced, and it is paying off, with

Rojas, maybe the quieter captain, still makes a huge impact in the game.
“Brandon’s the voice,” said Rojas, who is the type of captain who likes to set an example,”I walk the walk.”

Kohler and Rojas work together to create a perfect marriage of all the attributes a team needs in a captain. “Brandon and me, we are the mom and the dad,” said Rojas, “and i’m the mom.”