There’s a great deal of precision, calmness and consistency when it comes to making a pizza.
Although the ingredients may seem haphazardly thrown together, and the dough is prepared to the unique style of the pizzaiolo, the process is meticulous and the outcome is often a masterpiece.
So when Torrey Pines High School volleyball standout Declan Flanagan partnered with a friend last summer to start a TikTok page dedicated to reviewing local pizza places, it came as no surprise to those who know the 6-foot-7 outside hitter.
Who better than Flanagan to assess chaotic ingredients coming together under immense pressure than an athlete who exudes calmness on the court?
“I come into a match with the mindset of being completely steady and completely calm so that when things are going down or even when things are going well, people can look at me and know we’re going to be all right,” said Flanagan, a senior who has the Falcons sitting at 21-5 and ranked No. 2 in the Union-Tribune’s weekly poll. Torrey Pines is also ranked No. 10 in the USA TODAY Sports/AVCA Super 25 boys volleyball rankings.
Flanagan leads the Falcons with 267 kills while hitting .377. His 3.9 kills per set are among the county’s best. He also leads the team with 17 service aces and is second on the Falcons in total blocks and digs.
Flanagan, who will play at Stanford next year, has been a consistent force and quiet leader ever since stepping onto campus. He was part of the Torrey Pines team that won the CIF San Diego Section’s Open Division title two years ago, beating Cathedral Catholic. Last year, the Falcons lost to Carlsbad in the Open Division final.
“He’s always dependable,” said Torrey Pines teammate Griffin Dieter, who doubles as Flanagan’s beach volleyball partner. “I can always trust him for whatever it is I can’t necessarily do in a moment. It’s great to have someone like that, whether it’s on the beach or indoor.”
Or, as Falcons coach Nick Rubacky put it: “It’s interesting, because you look from the exterior, he’s kind of just calm and level-headed the whole time, and he almost looks blasé. But that’s how he is. He’s just a relaxed, chill kid, and I think it really resonates with all the other boys.
“Guys look to Declan and see he’s not rattled, and so everyone’s like, ‘All right, we’re fine. We’re good.”
Declan Flanagan #51 of Torrey Pines High School spikes the ball against Canyon Crest at Canyon Crest Academy on Friday, April 10, 2026 Jin San Diego, California. (Derrick Tuskan / For The San Diego Union-Tribune )
‘He loves volleyball and everything about it’
It’s not hard to see the player and leader Flanagan has become if you consider his lineage. His older sister, Grace, is finishing up her junior year playing volleyball at Santa Clara University. Another older sister, Addison, was recently admitted to Georgetown University’s law school.
Flanagan’s father, Kevin, played volleyball and basketball at Torrey Pines and basketball at the University of Arizona. He wore No. 51 because he felt it reflected his blue-collar mentality as an athlete.
Declan chose jersey No. 51 to honor his dad. That sentiment was particularly relevant when, after his freshman season, he chose to commit to volleyball over basketball.
“He laid it out and expressed what was important, why he thought he could be good in basketball but really special in volleyball,” said Kevin Flanagan, who was captain of the 1994 Wildcats team that reached the Final Four. “And he owned that decision. I think it was one of the first big decisions of his life. I’m so proud of him for following his passion. He loves volleyball and everything about it, and that’s all that matters.”
Flanagan’s mother, Alex, grew up on a ranch in Southern Arizona. While she played some basketball, she received the majority of her sports experience in a different arena.
She met Kevin when they were freshmen at Arizona. While Kevin Flanagan began a career in sports marketing after graduation, Alex chose broadcast journalism. At one point, she was the most-famous sideline reporter in sports, working for NBC’s “Football Night in America” and on Notre Dame football broadcasts and NFL Network’s “Thursday Night Football.”
Alex Flanagan covered 12 Super Bowls and five Olympic Games before becoming an agent and career strategist, which she does as vice president of broadcasting at the Montag Group.
Alex Flanagan, who has covered some of sports’ best competitors, praised her son’s poise.
“One thing I know about good athletes is that they want the ball under pressure,” Alex Flanagan said. “When the game’s on the line, he loves it. He loves competition. It’s not work for him to play or practice. That’s actually fun for him. He loves challenging himself to get fundamentally better, get technically better.”
Declan Flanagan said the highlight of his senior season hasn’t been the No. 11 MaxPreps.com national ranking or the wins over eight teams that have been in the U-T’s Top 10.
Instead, Flanagan chose to speak about how the Falcons have come together.
“We’ve become very good friends on and off the court,” he said. “That wasn’t an aspect I was expecting. I was expecting us to be pretty good, but I wasn’t expecting us to get along as well as we have. I think that will help us a lot in the future.”
Declan Flanagan #51, center, of Torrey Pines High School looks on from the bench during a game against Canyon Crest at Canyon Crest Academy on Friday, April 10, 2026 Jin San Diego, California. (Derrick Tuskan / For The San Diego Union-Tribune )
Playing, pizza are his passions
If anything can match Flanagan’s passion for volleyball, it’s his love of two things — San Diego and pizza.
So in July, Flanagan and a friend created TikTok accounts to review pizza slices in their favorite county. The account, which currently has 734 followers and 10.8K likes, has taken a hiatus during the school year, but Flanagan plans on bringing it back soon and expanding beyond coastal North County with his reviews.
East Coast Pizza in Cardiff and Bongiorno’s in Solana Beach have so far risen to the top for Flanagan. His personable nature comes out whether he’s eating a slice — always with ranch, by the way — or talking to a teammate.
Flanagan is often seen conversing with younger players, whether that’s about strategy, how to carry themselves on the court or perhaps his favorite new pizza slice.
In one form or another, he creates calm where it didn’t exist before.
“I’m most proud of the person that Declan has become as a teammate,” Alex Flanagan said. “He’s very gracious. He’s very humble, very kind with people and his time and his energy and his recognition. I think what I’m most proud of is that he’s a role model to other kids.”