Mira Costa Finally Puts Harvard on Ice : Volleyball: Wolverines rally from two games down, extend top-ranked Mustangs to five games.

Slumped against the bleachers in the Harvard-Westlake gym Friday night, Trevor Julian pondered the Wolverine volleyball team’s five-game setback to Mira Costa while icing both his knees.

“We showed a lot about our team’s personality tonight,” said Julian, a sophomore outside hitter who led Harvard with 35 kills in its 17-19, 0-15, 15-13, 17-15, 4-15 setback.

“Other teams would have crumbled in that spot but we won two games off one of the best teams in the nation.”

Mira Costa (12-2) has yet to lose on the court. The Mustangs forfeited a pair of matches due to an ineligible player, but remain ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division I poll.

And early Friday night, Mira Costa looked every bit the powerhouse. The Mustangs escaped a six-point deficit before winning a 48-minute opening game, then blanked the Wolverines (10-3) to take a two-games-to-none lead.

Mira Costa used a towering lineup that included 6-foot-10 hitter Adam Naeve, an All-Southern Section selection. But as good as the Mustangs were, Harvard was making them look even better.

‘We just had a total breakdown; we got served off the court,” Julian said. “But I knew if we got back to the way we played in the first game we could take those guys.”

Shrugging off the second-game whitewash, Harvard clawed its way back behind the powerful kills of Julian and swing hitter Rick Rauth and the pinpoint passing of setter Jason Morrow, who finished with 89 assists.

“Trevor’s really come on lately and he showed that tonight,” said Harvard Coach Jess Quiroz. “He looks for where guys’ hands are and puts it in the seams. Earlier on he just wanted to bang the ball but now he aims high for the corner of the court.”

Harvard didn’t trail by more than four points in winning the third game, then won a fourth game that was tied at 13-13, 14-14 and 15-15, and included five match points for Mira Costa.

The Mustangs pulled away in the fifth game however, leading all the way after a 3-3 tie.