PREP ROUNDUP : Fifth Game No Contest as No. 1 Artists Defeat Oilers

Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach battled to a standstill for four games, but the Oilers mailed in Game 5, and the Artists took advantage.

Laguna Beach, ranked No. 1 in Orange County, rallied from a two-games-to-one deficit for a 6-15, 15-9, 12-15, 16-14, 15-1 victory over host Huntington Beach, ranked third in the county, Monday in a nonleague boys’ volleyball match.

Dan Styles (40 kills for the match) and setter Kurt Nelson (73 assists) helped the Artists (13-1) even the match at 2-2. Then Styles had seven kills in Game 5, and Huntington Beach (13-2) committed 10 errors to seal its fate.

The match paired last season’s Southern Section Division I finalists. Huntington Beach defeated Laguna Beach in four games to win its second consecutive championship last season.

But in this match, the Artists repeated a different feat from last year, defeating the Oilers in another nonleague match.

“We seem to play each other twice a year,” Laguna Beach Coach Michael Soylular said. “Once in nonleague and once in the playoffs. This was a good win.”

Last season, Huntington Beach Coach Rocky Ciarelli was ejected during the Oilers’ poor performance in a three-game loss to the Artists. He stuck around to see the end of this one but didn’t like what he saw.

Huntington Beach rallied from a 13-9 deficit in Game 4 to tie it, 14-14.

But after spikes by Styles and Ryan Neptune gave Laguna Beach a side out and a 15-14 lead, Oiler senior Jeremy Bart, who had 21 kills and eight blocks, reached over the net and was whistled for a violation, giving the Artists the victory and new life.

Huntington Beach was never the same.

As the Oilers continued to make uncharacteristic errors, Ciarelli tried everything to mix things up. But his substitutions and cajoling had no effect on his team as the Artists continued to pile up points.

Did the Artists ever feel safe in Game 5?

“No way,” Nelson said. “I kept telling our guys that even when we were up, 10-1, in the last game, don’t let up. Volleyball is a game of momentum.”

Huntington Beach had all of the momentum early.

The Oilers had 13 blocks in Games 1 and 2 to keep Styles under control. Jeremy Bart had 21 kills and eight blocks--six against Styles--and helped the Oilers cruise to a 15-6 victory in Game 1.

After the Artists won Game 2, the Oilers played well in Game 3 and won, 15-12. Then the Artists hit their stride on offense and defense.

Styles, who had 30 digs, got help from Trevor Whalley (20 kills) and Justin Maison (12 kills) to balance the attack.