ROUNDUP : Laguna Beach Wears Down Poway to Reach State Semifinals

Playing with poise when it counted most, Laguna Beach outpunched host Poway, 17-15, 11-15, 15-11, 15-11, Saturday in 2 1/2 hours in the second round of the Southern California Regional Division I girls’ volleyball tournament.

The victory moved Laguna Beach into Tuesday’s State semifinals at Mountain View St. Francis, a 15-8, 15-6, 16-14 winner over Lodi in the Northern California Regional. The winner will play for the State championship Dec. 5 at Cal State Fullerton.

The Artists (22-2) also avenged one of their two losses.

Senior Rachel Wacholder had 32 kills for Laguna Beach. Hilary Kyle added 27, including 11 in the clinching fourth game.

Featuring two of the state’s top hitters--Wacholder and 6-foot-2 junior Kara Milling of Poway--the first game set the tone, lasting more than 40 minutes.

Poway led, 5-2, before Laguna Beach rallied, 8-5. But with Wacholder playing in the back row, Poway moved ahead, 9-8. The game went back and forth until Poway took a 13-11 lead. Laguna Beach fought back again and had two game points, but swing hitter Kyle couldn’t put the ball away.

The game turned into a battle of side-outs with the score tied at 15. Poway was the first to break, committing two hitting errors to give Laguna Beach the victory.

Poway (25-2) came back to win Game 2 but then faded.

“The key was the second game,” Laguna Beach Coach Mike Soylular said. “They could have had the momentum, but they didn’t take advantage of it.”