University Takes Dive After Victory
Sure, the University boys’ volleyball team had never won a league championship prior to this season, but that doesn’t mean the Trojans didn’t know how to celebrate.
After defeating Laguna Beach, 12-15, 15-9, 15-12, 15-7, in a Pacific Coast League match Thursday at University High, the Trojans pulled off their shoes and scrambled to jump into the school’s swimming pool.
Laguna Beach had won the last 10 league titles. And coming into this season, University had defeated Laguna Beach only once in its history.
Thursday’s victory for University was the second this season over Laguna Beach.
Although University (16-3, 10-0 in league) clinched the league title with a victory Monday over Estancia, the Trojans still had a mission Thursday.
“Well, 10-0 sounded better than 9-1,” said University junior Derek Tran, who had a team-high 19 kills. “We wanted to prove something. Since we beat them twice, they can’t say it was a fluke the first time.”
Laguna Beach (11-9, 7-3), which lost in five games to University in the first meeting, tried to follow the lead of 6-foot-5 senior Miles McGann (23 kills, 18 digs and three blocks), who will play at USC next season.
After winning the first game, Laguna Beach took a 6-1 lead in the second before University rallied to score 14 of the final 17 points. Then the Artists lost their cool in the third game before eventually losing the match.
Laguna Beach senior Brian Roark, who had six of his 11 kills and eight of his 13 digs in the third game, was ejected with the score 14-12 in the game after officials ruled a Laguna Beach spike wide.
Roark’s emotional outburst to protest the call drew an immediate red card and the ensuing discussion halted the match for several minutes.
When play resumed, University’s Matt Larson (15 kills) served an ace and the Trojans had a two-games-to-one lead. Although Laguna Beach pulled ahead, 7-6, in the fourth game, Larson had three kills to help University score the final nine points.
In the Century League:
Foothill 3, Orange 2--Chet Johnson had 26 kills for Foothill (11-4, 9-1), which earned a share of the league title with Orange (14-2, 9-1) after rallying for a 7-15, 15-10, 13-15, 15-11, 15-7 victory.
In the Empire League:
El Dorado 3, Cypress 0--Joel Cuthbert had 18 kills to help El Dorado (13-1, 8-0) win its third consecutive league title with a 15-1, 15-13, 15-12 victory.
In the Sea View League:
No. 1 Corona del Mar 3, El Toro 0--Dennis Alshuler and Morgan Jackson each had 11 kills for Corona del Mar (12-2, 9-1) in its 15-8, 15-9, 15-10 win. The Sea Kings earned a share of the league title with Newport Harbor.
Host El Toro (7-8, 4-6) finished in a three-way tie for third with Santa Margarita (10-8, 4-6) and Irvine (8-8, 4-6). A playoff will be held today to determine the league’s final automatic Southern Section playoffs entry.
No. 2 Newport Harbor 3, Irvine 0--Billy Clayton had 20 kills for hosts Newport Harbor (17-1, 9-1), which won, 15-12, 15-9, 15-6.
In the Sunset League:
No. 3 Esperanza 3, Fountain Valley 2--Dusty Russell had 24 kills for host Esperanza (14-2, 8-2), which won, 12-15, 7-15, 15-13, 15-4, 16-14.
No. 4. Marina 3, Los Alamitos 0--Host Marina (15-4, 9-1) won, 15-1, 15-3, 15-5, to win its second consecutive league championship.