SOUTHERN SECTION VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS : Unseeded Laguna Beach Upsets Mater Dei

Laguna Beach’s volleyball players got a little too cocky after the first game. They started celebrating a little early in the fourth game.

But the unseeded Artists still had too much talent and balance to lose, rolling to a 15-7, 11-15, 15-8, 15-10 victory over second-seeded Mater Dei in the Southern Section 5-A quarterfinals Tuesday night at Laguna Beach.

Rachel Wacholder had 25 kills and Tori Scott added 18 as the Artists (20-2) advanced to Thursday’s semifinals against Capistrano Valley. A victory would give Laguna Beach its first appearance in the section finals since finishing second to Corona del Mar in 1978.

Mater Dei (17-5), led by the powerful hitting of Amy Moeller (17 kills), overcame an 11-10 deficit to win the second game.

“We got cocky after the first game,” Laguna Beach Coach Michael Soylular said. “We had expected a tougher game.”

After cruising to a victory in the third game, Laguna Beach nearly blew an 8-1 lead in the fourth. Mater Dei cut the deficit to 12-10, but two Monarch hitting errors and a kill by Scott gave Laguna Beach the victory.

“I thought we started celebrating a little too early in the fourth game,” Soylular said. “Mater Dei is a good comeback team.”

Shauna Shapiro had 42 assists, and Jessica Wallace added seven kills and two blocks for Laguna Beach.