Volleyball: The Magorien effect at Westlake
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Ten years ago, Doug Magorien left Woodland Hills Taft as a teacher and boys’ volleyball coach to be closer to his four boys and coach volleyball at Westlake Village Westlake.
“It was hard,” Magorien said. “When I told the boys I left Taft, I started crying. I was leaving something so important for me for so long.”
He guided Taft to four City Section championships, but family came first. And now, two of his sons, Travis, a senior, and Colby, a sophomore, are starters for Westlake, which has reached the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals and plays Santa Ana Mater Dei on Tuesday at Mater Dei.
Colby had 17 kills in Westlake’s five-game quarterfinal win over Newport Harbor. And the proud father couldn’t be prouder.
“I had great relationships with so many kids [at Taft], but they weren’t my kids,” Magorien said. “Now I get to have this experience with my own kids and it’s that much more special.”
Colby told his father Saturday night that he “was still shaking” when they got home from the excitement of the match.
Magorien teaches at a middle school close to Westlake, and his wife, Lisa, is an assistant principal at West Hills Chaminade. He misses Taft, but he has helped build Westlake into a volleyball powerhouse with the help of his sons.
-- Eric Sondheimer