Sondheimer: Mira Costa High volleyball star Mateo Fuerbringer thrives when under pressure

Call it instinct. Call it mentality. Call it a pressure gene.

Whatever it is, Mateo Fuerbringer has it.

“I was born with it,” he says.

When the pressure is on and Mira Costa High’s volleyball team needs someone to step forward and deliver, Fuerbringer doesn’t need to raise his hand or ask for permission.

He just delivers.

“I’m able to be good under pressure in tough moments.”

Maybe it has something to do with being a volleyball player since he could walk, though a basketball was put in his crib. He quickly switched sports favorites.

His mom, Joy, played at Long Beach State and has her own club program. His dad, Matt, played at Stanford and is head coach for the 2028 Olympic Games men’s beach volleyball team. His sister, Charlie, plays at Wisconsin.

“My parents run a volleyball club, so I always came with them to work,” Fuerbringer said. “I’d always be around volleyball and got into it.”

He has grown to 6 feet 5 as a 17-year-old junior and is committed to UCLA, which is No. 1 in the nation with a 21-1 record.

Mira Costa is ranked No. 1 in Southern California, and stopping Fuerbringer from rising up and coming through with a kill is always the challenge for opponents. He’s certainly not perfect, but his power and knowledge of the sport puts him on a path for future success at each level he competes.

“I really love playing,” he said. “I really love the sport.”

That kind of passion and commitment combined with talent is reflected during matches. When he smiles, you can see his joy and satisfaction after he or a teammate comes through.

Loyola coach Mike Boehle has been watching Fuerbringer for years.

“It was in his blood since he was born,” Boehle said. “To watch him as a 12-year-old you could see he was special. He was playing up. He’s probably the best outside hitter in his class. The thing I appreciate about him is he’s pretty even keel. It’s not cockiness. He just plays the game. Nothing worries him. Playing against us, he got better as the match went on. He didn’t say a lot but spoke volumes with his play.”

Boehle said he’s looking forward to seeing Fuerbringer play alongside former Loyola star Sean Kelly at UCLA.

“It could be one of the best duos in a long time,” he said.

Mateo Fuerbringer of Mira Costa High tries to deliver a kill against Loyola. He had 37 for the match.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

He lives walking distance from the sand in Hermosa Beach, which means he’ll be receiving even more lessons when top beach players are training under his father this summer. He’ll be hanging out just like when he was young.

He’s just getting started. He has a jump serve that can be tough to handle. And he’s always looking to improve.

“I’ve been getting in the weight room to get stronger and increase my vertical,” he said.

There used to be two-on-two family volleyball matches, mom and dad vs. Mateo and his sister. Or card games, board games, pickleball games.

“It’s pretty feisty in the family,” Matt said.

So where do things go from here?

“One of Mateo’s big things is he wants to play with friends,” his father said. “He wants to play at the highest level with people he knows and likes.”

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