Abigail Hardy is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain View High School for AZPreps365.com

The countdown is on. 

Mountain View boys volleyball coach Kevin Powell is close to reaching a milestone that is significant in his sport.

He entered the 2025 season 12 wins away from 300 for his career and picked up one more in their recent Wolf Howl Boys Volleyball Tournament. 

“It's not about me, Powell said. “Forget the ego. Forget how competitive I am. It’s about being good for the kids.” 

Powell arrived at Mountain View in 2009 coaching the junior varsity team before moving up to the varsity position, replacing Katie Higgins in 2012. 

When growing up volleyball was always in the family, Powell said. His mom was a Pac-10 referee and his sister is currently reffing college volleyball.

“I started just for fun,” Powell said. “It was a job that I got to play volleyball, and it ended up that I liked it and I was pretty good at it, coaching. So you know I just stuck with it.”

There are too many games to determine the favorites, he said.

“It all just kind of blurs together,” Powell said. “I don’t really remember individual games. I remember all the kids we’ve had come through and where they’re at now.” 

Powell shouted out a few players in particular – Kyle Standage, who is playing for Merrimack University in Boston and Mark Olson, who graduated a while ago but is playing professionally in the Czechia right now. 

“It means a lot with how much he’s done with our program, and how much work he puts in for us,” junior outside hitter Matix Williams said. “He’s helped me look at the game in a different perspective. I’ve had a lot of coaches, and the way he talks about the game and teaches it is really helpful.” 

Powell isn’t Williams' club coach, but when Powell shows up and supports his players, it means a lot to Williams, he said. 

“He’s really good with the small details,” Trent Weyland said. 

Senior setter and opposite hitter Weyland said that Powell has done so much for the team and him, helping the fundamental aspects of serving, setting, hitting and transitioning.

When Powell started his career at Mountain View, 5A was the highest conference at the time. In the fall of 2016, 6A was introduced, and the Toros became a part of the 6A East Valley Region that season. 

It’s a small sport, but the competitiveness has grown over the years, Powell said.

“It's growing too fast, which is great,” Powell said. “It’s growing so fast that you better come in with some experience.” 

It's almost a necessity now to participate in club volleyball in the offseason, Powell said. Players can’t just walk in the gym and try out.

It helps player transition into their high school season.

“Every playoff win feels like a huge achievement,” Powell said. “One thing we constantly talk about here is the only thing that matters is what we're doing in May. February is all about getting better. March and April is all about getting better and learning to play with each other, and then winning in May is really where we strive to go.”  

Powell's team had its best season in 2018-19, when the Toros went 35-6-1 and were ranked No.30 nationally. But they lost to Chandler 3-2 in the finals of the state championship.    

“All those playoff wins are really kind of memorable for me,” Powell said.  

Powell said it’s been a great place to work and coach over the years. 

“I love the guys we have, so I would love to coach them again,” Powell said.