ROUNDUP : San Clemente Stops Laguna Beach

San Clemente boys’ volleyball Coach Mike Hurlbut heaved a sigh of relief after the Tritons finally came up with a big victory, upsetting second-ranked Laguna Beach in five games Monday at Laguna Beach High.

Sophomore setter Brandon Taliaferro had 60 assists to lead San Clemente to a 5-15, 12-15, 15-13, 15-7, 15-12 nonleague victory.

“Sure it’s good for our psyche,” Hurlbut said, “to win a match where we slug it out like this.”

The Tritons (10-1), ranked fourth in Orange County, lost a heartbreaking five-game match to top-ranked El Toro this season.

But Monday was different for San Clemente.

Gabe Gardner, who had 20 kills and five blocks, and his brother, Phinney, helped the Tritons turn it around in Game 3.

Phinney Gardner finished with 14 kills and eight blocks, playing Laguna Beach’s 6-foot-9 middle blocker, Szilard Kovacs, to a standstill.

Kovacs, who has signed a letter of intent with USC, finished with 13 kills and eight blocks.

Laguna Beach setter Kurt Nelson had 64 assists and Dan Styles had 23 kills and Beau Bianchi added 18. But the Artists couldn’t halt the charging Tritons.

“When I called time out at 5-5 in the third game, there was an eerie silence in our huddle,” Laguna Beach Coach Michael Soylular said. “I had a funny feeling then that it was slipping away.”

In Game 4, four Laguna Beach errors helped San Clemente close out a 15-7 victory and in Game 5, Phinney Gardner and Taliaferro teamed to block Styles twice for the Tritons’ 14th and 15th points to close out the match.

Corin Bemus added 15 kills and four blocks and Ricky Bruce came off the bench to tally seven kills and three blocks for San Clemente.

In Sea View League golf:

Woodbridge 208, University 219--Scott Nelson shot two-over-par 38 to lead Woodbridge (11-4) at Rancho San Joaquin.