PREP VOLLEYBALL : Harvard Surprises Royal for 3-A Title

Harvard High School’s volleyball team won its first Southern Section 3-A volleyball championship Saturday night, upsetting Royal, 17-15, 7-15, 15-1, 6-15, 15-7, in the finals at Cerritos College.

Second-seeded Harvard, the 3-A runner-up in 1989, built an 11-1 lead in the fifth game and ended top-seeded Royal’s 19-match winning streak.

Royal, 2-A champion the last two years, was attempting to become only the second team in the tournament’s 17-year history to win three consecutive titles. Loyola won four in a row from 1985-88.

San Marcos 3, Newport Harbor 1--Zak DeMatteo had 17 kills and Gabe Salvador added 10 kills and five blocks to lead the top-seeded Royals to their first 4-A championship, 15-5, 15-10, 10-15, 15-6.

Beau Sheward had 21 kills to lead Newport Harbor.

Whittier Christian 3, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 1--Aaron Sohegian had seven of his 14 kills in the fourth game as the second-seeded Heralds defeated the top-seeded Eagles, 15-13, 15-6, 12-15, 15-9, in the 2-A finals.

The Heralds built a 13-5 lead in the fourth game and held on to win their first section title. Sohegian, a 6-foot-5 senior middle blocker, had two kills and an ace that sealed the victory.

Adam McIlhenny had 14 kills and Brandon Blevins added 10 kills and five blocks for Whittier Christian.