Barons Show Discipline in Victory

After Fountain Valley took care of some in-house punishment, the Barons took care of Capistrano Valley to win a Southern Section Division I boys’ volleyball playoff match, 10-15, 15-9, 16-14, 15-13, Friday at Fountain Valley.

“We had some disciplinary problems this week,” Fountain Valley Coach Ray Brown said. “That’s why our best player, Brad Keenan, sat out the first game.”

Keenan still finished with 26 kills and eight blocks to lead Fountain Valley (9-6), which advanced to play top-seeded Newport Harbor in the second round a site to be determined.

“We got what we wanted and now we get to play the best,” Brown said. “Everything after this is a bonus.”

It sounded like a second-round concession from Brown, but at least Fountain Valley won’t face Newport Harbor at full strength. The Sailors won their first-round match, but are playing without starting setter Travis Nelson, who is out for the season with a broken finger.

And when Fountain Valley had Keenan in the lineup, it flashed some of its potential.

Although Beau Rawi, who had 21 kills, helped the Cougars (7-8) win the first 12 points in the first game, the Barons made the Cougars sweat a little before losing, 15-10.

Then Keenan helped to really change the momentum.

He had eight kills and five blocks in the second-game victory, then had 16 kills in a pressure-packed third game victory that took 45 minutes.

“That was the turning point,” Brown said. “Capo wasn’t quite the same after that.”

But the Cougars still made it interesting, falling behind in the fourth game, 12-4, before scoring nine consecutive points. But Chris Anderson (17 kills, 18 digs) spiked for a kill to tie it, 13-13, and the Barons won after two hitting errors by Rawi.

Drew Carson had seven kills and seven blocks for the Cougars.

Fountain Valley setter Kevin Seckington had 58 assists.