Good genes don't make the son of a nuclear physicist a good nuclear physicist.

They didn't make Ted Williams' son John Henry a career .344 hitter.

Kevin Wile has good volleyball genes. His father, Larry, played for Penn State.

Certainly Larry Wile's interest in volleyball rubbed off on his son, just as it had on his daughters, Lisa and Michelle.

There has to be more to it, though. A son or daughter has to take that handed-down interest, or genetic connection, and make something of it.

Kevin Wile appears to be doing that.

Conestoga Valley's junior outside hitter blossomed into an all-state player last season, largely due to his play in the postseason, where the Buckskins advanced to the District Three Class AA semifinals and then had a nice run in the state tournament.

As Wile was coming into his own, so, too, were the Bucks, who had barely been a blip on the radar with their 6-6 L-L League record. A lack of tournament play may have made CV a bit of an unknown to their playoff opponents.

But a five-game victory over Garden Spot in the L-L quarterfinals gave the Buckskins confidence for their postseason run.

"Garden Spot had a solid team and the match ended up going to a fifth game (which CV won, 18-16)," Wile said. "We played with so much heart and intensity that game. It really turned our season around."

CV's postseason really sets up some potential fireworks this spring and it won't be long before pyrotechnics are lit.

That would be tonight, as a matter of fact, when the Buckskins play defending L-L League, District Three Class AAA and PIAA Class AAA champs Hempfield in a Section One match in Landisville.

The Black Knights were hit hard by graduation but they do return one of the top players in the state in Ohio State signee Shawn Sangrey. Plus, Hempfield's history — six state titles in the last seven years — should forewarn anyone from counting them out.

Penn Manor, last season's league runner-up, graduated its top players but the Comets will battle rising programs Warwick, Cedar Crest and Manheim Township in Section One.

In Section Two, Garden Spot, with three returning league all-stars, and Lancaster Mennonite will go toe to toe, but watch out for Manheim Central.

You could say that the game rubbed off on Kevin Wile but he had a lot to do with absorbing it. Watching his sisters play — Michelle won a state title at CV in 2003 — and hearing about the game from his dad was a key to his development.

He started playing club volleyball in eighth grade, then made the decision to stop playing organized basketball so he could hone his skills with club volleyball in the off-season.

Last season, he led the Bucks in digs (212) and aces (25). He was third on the team in kills (200).

Wile's father agreed that Kevin seemed to elevate his game in the postseason last year.

"I think maybe a light went off, to an extent," Larry Wile said. "You could see that he tried some new things, and they worked against a tougher defense than he had faced. He tried something new and then had the confidence to repeat it."

Kevin Wile traced some of his postseason success to a better on-court relationship with setter J.R. Bard. Bard, however, has graduated and Wantor "Billy" Lor now fills the setter position.

To CV coach Al Kofroth, Wile does more for the Bucks than just dig and swing. It's his demeanor and the way he goes about the game.

"You need someone on the team who other players will say, 'I want to play like him,' " Kofroth said. " 'He's hustling so I guess I have to.' It can get kind of embarrassing when he's diving for balls and you're not. He plays the game the way it should be played."

Wile's game at the net continues to evolve. But his defense has always been a strong point. He will call out a serve-receive about the time the ball leaves the opposing server's hands.

"It's just his vision of the game," Kofroth said. "He tracks the ball well; he anticipates well. Volleyball, now, you have to win points on defense, blocking and digging to get ahead."

Wile alone doesn't make the Buckskins formidable this season but the return of fellow juniors Chris Cannon, a 6-foot-6 middle hitter, and Joseph Hughes, a 6-4 outside hitter, does.

Like Wile, Cannon and Hughes were particularly noticeable when the Bucks took Northeastern to five games in the district semis, falling in the fifth game, 20-18. CV battled back from one-game deficits twice to force the fifth game, which needed to go past the first-to-15 points mark.

"They started to understand how to cover for each other's limitations and take advantage of strengths," said Larry Wile.

Now, all CV has to do is build off of that experience. Following the lead of Wile and the other upperclassmen might be the way to go.

"The game is in his blood," said Kofroth, talking about Wile. "He sees it, he watches it, he studies it."

Performs pretty well, too.

E-mail: kfreeman@lnpnews.com