Mira Costa Takes a Royal Beating : Volleyball: The Mustangs are defeated, 15-9, in semifinal match of tournament. Poway defeats Royal to win the championship.

The Mira Costa High boys’ volleyball team’s showing in the Mira Costa-Redondo Classic does not affect the Mustangs’ 16-0 record, but the result will probably be remembered for quite awhile.

Mira Costa lost to Royal, the defending Southern Section 3-A Division champion, 15-9, in a tournament semifinal match Saturday night at Redondo High.

“We didn’t play all that well, we were a little high-strung,” Mira Costa senior middle blocker Chris Walmer said. “We just needed to relax and play together. Instead, we broke down.”

Many of the Highlanders’ Marmonte League opponents have done the same. Royal (14-0), ranked second in the Southern Section Division II poll, has won 180 consecutive games and 60 matches in a row in Marmonte League play.

Royal’s victory also denied Mira Costa, ranked second in Division I, a chance to win its second classic title in a row and third in four seasons.

“Obviously, you like to play a team like that best three out of five,” Mira Costa Coach Mike Cook said. “They passed well and we could have passed better. It was only one game and we lost.”

Royal jumped to a 4-0 lead before Mira Costa rallied to tie the score, 5-5, on an ace by Sean Shoptaw and a two kills by Walmer.

The Highlanders scored five consecutive points to open a 10-5 lead before Mira Costa scored a point on a dink by Walmer.

Trailing 14-7, Mira Costa withstood five game points to close to 14-9 before Jason Hughes secured the victory with a spike off the hands of Shoptaw.

Jerod White, Josh Penrod and Jason Hughes had six kills each for Royal. Walmer and Matt Walker had nine and seven kills for Mira Costa.

Walmer and Hughes and Steve Hodge of Royal were named to the all-tournament team, along with Will Fritcher of North Torrance and Ryan Tucker of Redondo.

Charlie Jackson of San Diego Poway was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Poway defeated Royal, 15-9, in the final to win the 40-team tournament.

The top two teams in each of the eight five-team pools advanced to the 16-team single-elimination championship bracket.

Mira Costa went 8-0 in pool play to advance as the top team from its bracket. The Mustangs defeated Millikan, 15-11, and Lakewood, 15-6, in the quarterfinals before playing Royal in the semifinal.

North (8-0) and Redondo (7-1) also advanced to the quarterfinals as the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in their pools.

Redondo fell to Brentwood, 15-3, and North lost to University, 15-8, in the quarterfinals.

Torrance (2-6), South (4-4) and Bishop Montgomery (2-6) and Peninsula (3-5) did not advance into the championship round.