Mira Costa Gears Up for Showdown With Huntington Beach

Never mind the opponent, Mira Costa boys’ volleyball Coach Mike Cook is just glad to be playing a match at home again.

Well, at least fairly close to home.

After playing two of its three postseason matches on the road, the Mustangs will play host to Huntington Beach in a Southern Section Division I semifinal match at Redondo High on Wednesday.

Last season, Huntington Beach defeated the Mustangs in the 4-A Division semifinals.

“Of course, it would be nice to make amends but I don’t care who were playing,” Cook said. “Just being in the playoffs should be motivation in itself. I just want to play in familiar territory.”

Mira Costa (21-0) defeated Harvard-Westlake, 15-13, 15-12, 15-7, Friday night at Harvard to advance to the semifinals.

Outside hitter Matt Walker had 19 kills and middle blocker Chris Walmer had 18 kills and five blocks. Setter Zane Smythe had 54 assists and outside hitter Greg Snyder served 11 points. The second-seeded Mustangs have won five consecutive matches since losing to Royal, 15-9, in the semifinals of the Mira Costa-Redondo Classic.

Mira Costa swept Buena, 15-9, 15-4, 15-3, in a first-round match at home and defeated Alemany, 15-8, 15-13, 15-8, in a venue Cook considered far from optimal.

“What a place Alemany was,” Cook said. “The ceilings are only 30 feet high, the floors are yellow and the lights are dim. You shouldn’t have distractions like that. We’ve been playing in anonymity and now it’s time for our crowd to come out.”

Huntington Beach had its 60-game unbeaten streak broken but emerged with a 14-16, 15-11, 15-5, 3-15, 15-10 victory over Irvine in a quarterfinal match.

Shadd Walker had 20 kills for third-seeded Huntington Beach (21-0), which played without starter Jonathan Wimbish, who dislocated an ankle in practice Thursday.

Wimbish’s status for Wednesday’s match is uncertain.

Top-seeded Capistrano Valley (19-0) will play fourth-seeded Laguna Beach (17-2) in the other semifinal.

Upland (18-0), coached by 1981 North Torrance graduate Randy Ittner, defeated North for the third time this season, 15-11, 15-9, 15-10, in a Division II quarterfinal at North.

The Saxons, in their first season under former North and USC standout Lawrence Hom, finished 14-3.

*

The Bishop Montgomery, Torrance and North softball teams posted Division III first-round victories Friday.

Bishop Montgomery advanced with a 3-1 victory in 13 innings over West Torrance, Torrance defeated Schurr, 3-0, and North beat Redondo, 2-1.

Peninsula beat Savannah, 3-0, and Mary Star defeated Bassett, 13-5, in Divisions II and IV.

*

In boys’ tennis, second-seeded Peninsula (22-0) will play host to Woodbridge (18-4) in a Division I quarterfinal match Tuesday. The Panthers defeated San Marino, 16-2, in a second-round match Thursday.