Exeter Has Look, but Ocean View Gets the Victory

Watching Exeter warm up before Tuesday’s Division III regional match, Ocean View Coach Tim Mennealy was impressed with its look of confidence. That expression quickly changed when the Seahawks took the floor.

Host Ocean View scored the first nine points, stealing the emotion from the Central Section runner-ups and winning the first-round match in less than an hour, 15-2, 15-2, 15-3. The Seahawks will host Oakhurst Yosemite in the second round on Saturday.

“They looked like they were going to be more competitive than they ended up being. I think it was a surprise to everybody,” Mennealy said. “We watched them warm up and hit and they seemed very confident. They just didn’t put it together in the game.”

It was a break Ocean View probably needed. The Seahawks were coming off consecutive five-game thrillers, including Friday’s 2 1/2-hour Division III-A championship match against Torrance Bishop Montgomery, in which Ocean View won its first section title.

“It was probably good to have a match like this after we won the title, just so they kind of refocus and come back to reality a little bit,” Mennealy said.

Ocean View right-side hitter Amy Knebel, who led the Seahawks with eight kills, agreed.

“It’s going to be nice to get home early, go to sleep and rest up for our match Saturday, which will probably be a lot tougher,” Knebel said.

Against Exeter (12-5), Tracy Lindquist did much of the damage. Lindquist served the first seven points of the match, two coming on aces.