Top-Ranked Harvard Outguns Downey in 3-A Volleyball Semifinal

In the end, Harvard High simply had too much size and too many weapons for Downey in the semifinals of the Southern Section 3-A Division boys’ volleyball playoffs Thursday at Notre Dame High.

The top-ranked Saracens (18-0) won, 15-2, 16-14, 16-18, 15-11, and will meet Glendale, a 15-9,15-12,15-6 winner over Brentwood, in the final Saturday at Huntington Beach Marina High.

It looked like a mismatch early on as Harvard jumped to a 9-0 lead in the first game en route to an easy victory.

But Downey (16-2), behind the play of juniors David Han (35 kills) and Troy Kolar (28 kills), came alive in the second game and the Saracens found themselves in a battle.

With Han setting to Kolar, and vice versa, the Vikings kept it close in the second game and led on several occasions. The Saracens squandered three match points before winning when Han’s spike went long.

Harvard failed to capitalize on three more match points in the third game and Downey made the most of its opportunity to stay alive in the match.

But the Saracens, getting excellent play from setter Geoff Givens and hitters Andres Carlo (27 kills, nine in the final game), Rick Osterloh (25 kills, eight in the final game) and Bob Conca (19 kills), rebounded in the fourth game. They scored five consecutive points to break an 8-8 tie and went on to close out the match.

Said Downey Coach Bob Crowell: “Harvard was too tall, and we’re too short. We just wanted to get it to a fifth game because we thought they would get tired.”