Laguna Beach Must Forfeit a League Volleyball Match : Preps: Artists’ coach also suspended two matches for two infractions involving an alumni scrimmage.

Laguna Beach High officials have suspended girls’ volleyball Coach Michael Soylular for two matches, and the Artists must forfeit a Pacific Coast League match, for violating Southern Section rules during a recent alumni scrimmage.

Tim Sullivan, Laguna Beach assistant principal, said school officials suspended Soylular for league matches this week against Laguna Hills and Trabuco Hills, pending a Friday meeting between league principals.

Sullivan said the meeting will determine which league match the Artists will forfeit.

Laguna Beach (10-0, 5-0 in league) is ranked second in Orange County and third in Southern Section Division I.

Although a forfeit won’t likely affect Laguna Beach’s league finish, it could have impact on other league teams as well as the Artists’ seeding in the Southern Section tournament next month. A forfeit also would end Laguna Beach’s 35-match league winning streak that extends through the 1989 season.

Laguna Beach violated two section rules:

--Rule 502, which prohibits high school teams from competing with teams outside the jurisdiction of the section without prior consent. Alumni matches are allowed, but only against teams made up entirely of alumni.

--Rule 700, which prohibits teams from participating in a contest that is not sanctioned by the section and league.

Soylular said he was unaware he had violated section rules.

“I wasn’t being sneaky,” he said. “I’m speaking the truth. I didn’t know about it. I made a mistake.

“It hurt me, not because I didn’t coach for two days or because we took a loss. It hurt the school and the program. I don’t know what it is. I guess somebody’s jealous.”

Sullivan said three non-alumni, including pro beach volleyball player Alison Johnson, participated in a scrimmage with the Laguna Beach varsity last Wednesday at the Artists’ gym.

“It was intended to be an alumni match, which is allowed under (section) rules,” Sullivan said. “Only four alumni showed up.”

Because the non-alumni participated, the scrimmage also will count toward the Artists’ overall schedule. That gives Laguna Beach 21 matches, one more than section rules allow, so the Artists must forfeit one league match.

“It’s something the league principals need to discuss because the forfeit could determine the league finish,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the violation was reported to Southern Section officials, who met with him and Laguna Beach Principal Barbara Callard. Sullivan said the Southern Section decided to allow the school to determine the punishment for the team and Soylular, a former coach at Cal Poly Pomona and the University of Virginia.

Freshman-sophomore Coach Chris Whiting is coaching the varsity in Soylular’s absence. The Artists swept Laguna Hills Tuesday night.

What They Did Wrong

Southern Section rules violated by the Laguna Beach volleyball program:

502--Competition with outside teams: No school belonging to the California Interscholastic Federation shall compete with any team outside the jurisdiction of the Federation without consent of the California Interscholastic Federation Section involved.

700--All athletic competition in CIF-approved sports in which high school students participate as representatives of their high schools shall be held under the auspices of a member high school, CIF league or CIF Section. Students who are not members of CIF high schools or approved schools shall not participate.

Source: Southern Section Bluebook