Sea Kings Win Marathon With El Toro

It was quite late when Corona del Mar and El Toro finished their second-round Division I boys’ volleyball match Tuesday.

The fourth-seeded Sea Kings were the ones still standing after winning the 3 1/2-hour match, 13-15, 15-10, 16-14, 8-15, 15-12, at El Toro High.

“We came out flat, but got fired up when we needed to,” said senior Dennis Alshuler, who led the Sea Kings with 32 kills.

Corona del Mar (14-2), which hasn’t gone five games all season, jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the fifth game, but El Toro rallied to tie the score, 7-7, on a lift call on Morgan Jackson. The Sea Kings reeled off five consecutive points, then took match point on an ace by Alshuler.

After El Toro cut the lead to 14-12, Alshuler ended it with a block on Jason Donovan.

Donovan, who led the Chargers with 42 kills, was the main attacker in El Toro’s offense, along with Kyle Martin, who had 37 kills. Charger setter Scott Panaro had 103 assists.

El Toro (11-9) trailed, 10-2, in the first game, but scored 13 of the next 16 points to take a one-game lead.

After Corona del Mar won the next two games, the Chargers forced a fifth game after rallying from an early 4-1 deficit in the fourth game.

Setter Kevin Hansen finished with 94 assists for Corona del Mar, which will play North Hollywood Harvard Westlake Friday in the quarterfinals.