Mature Capistrano Valley Wins

Maturity has been a buzzword around the Capistrano Valley boys’ volleyball team all season.

And it was a remarkable display of composure and perseverance that boosted the Cougars to a 15-7, 16-14, 9-15, 15-7 victory over Huntington Beach in the semifinals of Southern Section Division I tournament Wednesday at Mission Viejo High.

“That’s just the most mature this team has ever played,” Capistrano Valley Coach Darren Utterback said.

For the first time since 1993, second-seeded Capistrano Valley (19-1) advances to the final Saturday at Cypress College, where it will play top-seeded Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (21-0).

One of the Cougars’ most poised performances came from their youngest starter, sophomore Beau Rawi, who had six kills in the fourth game.

“I just felt we really had to win that last game and I just had to go crazy. I wasn’t going to let our season slip away like that,” Rawi said. “They’re a great team and they’ve been known to come back so we had to put them away.”

Rawi and Ryan Thurlow each had 13 kills and Cougars Brad Leach and Mike Tully each had 12.

The Cougars did an excellent job of blocking against the Oilers’ skillful hitters, Evan Hook and David McKienzie, a junior transfer from Long Beach Wilson. Hook and McKienzie each had 14 kills for Huntington Beach (18-2).

Leading, 7-5, in the first game Jeremy Sayo served two winners that started the Cougars’ 8-2 run to win the game.

With Capistrano Valley leading the second game, 12-9, Huntington Beach put together a 5-0 run to bring up game point. Thurlow had a kill to end the threat and the Cougars saved three more game points before coming back to win it on a kill by Tully.

“That second game meant so much. We held them off and pulled that game off,” Utterback said. “To be up 2-0 in the semifinals is huge.”

But Huntington Beach did not give up easily. Trailing, 5-7, in the third game, the Oilers went on a 10-2 run to win it. The Cougars felt their Achilles’ heel twinge.

“We’ve been letting up a little all season. When we get ahead we get comfortable and the other team would step it up,” Tully said.

But Rawi started the fourth game with a kill and the Cougars maintained their composure.

“We went to the fourth game and the guys didn’t lose their heads. We said no server gets more than one point,” Utterback said.

The Cougars almost met that goal. Leading 6-2 in the fourth game, the Oilers’ Hook served three consecutive points to bring Huntington Beach as close as 6-5.

But Capistrano Valley went on a 7-2 run to put the match out of reach, 13-7. The Cougars won after McKienzie hit one ball into the net and another wide on match point.

In Division II:

Calvary Chapel 3, Long Beach Poly 0--Jason Mendall had a game-high 26 kills to help Calvary Chapel beat Long Beach Poly, 16-14, 17-15, 17-15. The Eagles (16-2) will play Foothill in the final.

Foothill 3, Downey Warren 0--Fourth-seeded Foothill handed Warren its first defeat of the season, winning, 15-10, 15-4, 15-9. Mike Major had 10 kills and Ryan Ellis had nine to lead Foothill (15-1).