Mira Costa Falls Short in Volleyball Title Game

Something had to give Saturday night in the Southern Section 4-A boys’ volleyball championship game at Marina High.

Mira Costa and Corona Del Mar came into the contest having already won one CIF title apiece. The Mustangs captured the crown in 1984, while Corona Del Mar took home the title the following year.

Make that two for Corona Del Mar, which defeated the Mustangs four sets to secure its second Southern Section championship. The Sea Kings won, 16-18, 15-12, 15-6, 15-8.

With the victory, Corona Del Mar becomes the first team to win a second Southern Section 4-A boys’ volleyball championship. Loyola has won five crowns, but three of them have come at the 3-A level.

Mira Costa won the marathon first game, 18-16, by forging a 10-7 advantage, before Corona Del Mar fought back to lead, 15-14.

The Mustangs tied the game and took a one-point lead on Greg Shankle’s serving, then, with Jason Stimpfig serving, won the game on Zach Small’s block at the net.

Mira Costa scored the first three points of the second set, but before long Corona Del Mar had taken control with a 9-5 lead. Tied, 12-12, with control of the serve, the Mustangs had a chance to win, but six sideouts proved their undoing as the Sea Kings tied the series with a 15-12 victory in the second set.

The third set was all Corona Del Mar, even though Mira Costa did move out to an early 2-1 advantage. The Sea Kings ran off nine straight points and frustrated Mira Costa at every turn in the process.

Mira Costa climbed back into contention to trail, 10-6, but again sideouts stymied the Mustangs who failed to score on three consecutive sideouts. Mira Costa failed to score on 9 of 13 opportunities and the Sea Kings took full advantage to score an easy win.

The Mustangs moved out quickly in the fourth game and jumped to a 4-1 lead. But Corona Del Mar quickly cut the advantage and led, 8-5. Mira Costa, behind the serving of Canyon Ceman, tied the game, 8-8, but the Sea Kings scored four straight on Matt Herrington’s serves to take a 12-8 lead. Chris Pliha’s ace made the score, 13-8.

With Ty Price serving, the Sea Kings scored another point, but lost the serve.

John Hamilton then served, Mira Costa returned and Doug Hesse blocked the ball at the net to give Corona Del Mar the victory.

In three previous playoff games, the St. Bernard boys’ volleyball team wasted little effort, dispatching each opponent in three sets.

But Saturday in the Southern Section 2-A championship game at Marina High, Royal of Simi Valley extended St. Bernard to five sets and came away with the victory and the crown. Royal, now in its second year of boys’ volleyball, won 15-12, 9-15, 15-9, 15-12, 15-3.

Both teams were evenly matched throughout the afternoon; neither could score a knockout punch in any of the first four games.

But Game 5 was decidedly Royal, which jumped out to an 8-0 advantage before St. Bernard could get on the board. The Highlanders extended their lead to 9-3, then served four straight before Craig Parker’s serving ace secured the game.

“No, it was not really fatigue on our part,” said St. Bernard Coach Dana Lund. “They came out a lot stronger at the start of the fifth game, and we just couldn’t regroup.

“We were fine when we would focus on playing. When we didn’t, they scored a lot of points on us.”

The Vikings fell behind, 8-3, in the first set, but ran off five straight to tie the game. A seesaw battle ensued until Royal put the game away with three straight points.

St. Bernard jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the second set, but Royal pulled to 13-9. Lee Chen then served two straight to give the Vikings the win.

The Vikings led 4-1 in game three, Royal rebounded for a 10-6 advantage, and St. Bernard pulled to 10-9. But Royal then ran off five straight for the win.

Game 4 went back and forth until St. Bernard’s Keith Cochran served the final two points for the Viking victory.

Cochran paced the Vikings with 15 kills, Jay Armant had 11, and Chen and Jason Olive had nine kills each.

Despite the lopsided score in the deciding game, Lund was pleased with his team’s effort Saturday.

“No St. Bernard team had ever won a playoff game,” he said. “And I was real pleased with the way we stayed in there.

“We could’ve quit in the third game, but we hung in there. They started to close in on us in the fourth game and we didn’t quit.

“We just got off to a slow start in the fifth game and that was it.”