Royal Finds Same Story: Tough Loss to Mira Costa

Royal High had been there, done that.

Actually, they’d only been there.

For the second time in a month, the Highlanders lost another five-game boys’ volleyball match at Mira Costa, this one much more painful and permanent.

The Highlanders exited the Southern Section Division I playoffs in the quarterfinals Friday night with a 13-15, 15-6, 15-9, 9-15, 15-13 loss to Mira Costa.

The Highlanders fell behind, 13-7, in the fifth game, but rallied to tie the score at 13-13 as the fourth-seeded Mustangs (24-3) ran into passing troubles.

But unseeded Royal (21-4), which had problems serving all night, had a service error and then a couple of passing errors to help seal their fate.

“That’s the closest we’ve ever come to winning and not won,” Coach Bob Ferguson said. “We should have won that last game. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.”

Based on recent meetings with Mira Costa, the odds weren’t with Royal.

Royal lost to the Mustangs last month in a five-game nonconference match that went two-and-a-half hours.

The Highlanders also lost to Mira Costa, 15-6, 16-14, in the Redondo tournament earlier this month.

But Ferguson and his son, Travis, an assistant coach, stayed up past midnight to watch tape of the prior matches.

Something must have clicked, at least in the first game.

Cam Dickson and Diraj Coats each had five kills for the Highlanders, who extended out from a 9-8 lead to take the first game.

The serving seed had, however, been planted, as the Highlanders had nine service errors in the first game.

The Highlanders had six service errors in the second game and Mira Costa had no such problem, serving four aces, two of which came from Ronnie Ahfeldt during a six-point run that put the Mustangs ahead, 13-3.

The Highlanders ran into a different hurdle in the third game. Starting outside hitter Ryan Moberly was sidelined midway through the game with cramps in his right calf.

Mira Costa’s Andy Krikorian pounded nine of his 26 kills to take a 2-1 lead in games.

Royal forced a fifth game by picking up its block at the net in the fourth.

Six Highlander blocks, three by Garrett Herzer, nearly equaled Royal’s output in the first three games combined.

Dickson had 16 kills and Steve Russell had 15 for Royal, which finished with 28 serving errors.

“Just couldn’t finish it,” Dickson said. “I guess we just got a little too far down.”