From Day One of the boys' volleyball season, there was no doubt who was going to be the All-Area Player of the Year.
Mike Gaudino had no rival in the area in 2005, as he was selected the top player in the area by the sportswriters and editors of the Glendale News-Press, Foothill Leader and Burbank Leader.
A year later, Gaudino proved once again that he deserved the accolades that were showered on him throughout his senior year at La Cañada High.
First came the Rio Hondo League's Most Valuable Player honor that he shared.
Then an All-CIF Southern Section Division IV first-team spot.
To top it off, Gaudino was unanimously chosen the All-Area Player of the Year.
His teammates knew there was no one else in the area ? and maybe only a few in Southern California ? who compared to Gaudino.
"He was amazing," Spartan setter Armen Haroutunian said.
Added La Cañada's Joe Hummel: "He's one of the best players in the nation."
Contributed Spartan Coach Brock Turner: "I said it before, but sometimes, I was just there to watch him."
Turner watched the Cal State Northridge-bound Gaudino lead the Spartans to the program's first Rio Hondo League championship.
He watched Gaudino propel La Cañada to the CIF Southern Section Division IV quarterfinals this spring.
And he watched Gaudino record an astounding 657 kills.
"He could make it look so natural," Turner said. "It's one of those things that certain athletes can do things a certain way and make it look easy. But I know he put in a ton of effort."
Turner made an effort to mold Gaudino ? a captain, along with Haroutunian and Hummel ? into a leader.
Over the year, Gaudino became a vocal leader who was looked up to by his teammates.
"I tried to be more of an emotional leader," Gaudino said. "When we had rough times and we played rough, I tried to keep the spirits up in huddles."
Being a leader also meant not showing weakness.
"That was his thing," Turner said. "He doesn't want to show weakness. If you show weakness, that's an opponent's way in. Mike would never show weakness.
"That's through working hard and practicing hard. He wasn't just physically tough, but he was mentally tough. He did everything and he did it so well."
Gaudino said he worked hard to achieve something he couldn't in his previous three years on the varsity level.
"I wanted a league title," Gaudino said.
He got that on April 27, as La Cañada defeated back-to-back league-champion South Pasadena, 31-29, 22-25, 25-19, 25-20 on its home court to claim the title.
"It was pretty frustrating being on the other side of the net and seeing them celebrate the last two years," said Gaudino, whose sister, Kelly, was the 1999 All-Area Girls' Volleyball Player of the Year and whose brother, Greg, was the All-Area Boys' Volleyball Player of the Year in 2002.
"I knew we had the talent to win. It was nice to be on the other side celebrating and them watching us."
Winning the league title wasn't surprising for Gaudino and the Spartans.
However, some of his exploits on the court were.
"He always surprised us," Hummel, an All-Area outside hitter, said. "Against San Marino, he had 49 kills. In some of those games, he would throw down kills that no one expected."
Said Haroutunian: "He surprised me all four years. He would always amaze me with what he could pull off. I felt bad [for our opponents]."
Gaudino made his opponents look bad.
Said Hummel: "He was great to watch."
