SOUTHERN SECTION VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP

Corona del Mar def. Royal, 10-15, 14-16, 15-7, 15-8, 15-3--Royal’s season came to a disappointing end at Corona del Mar, where the Highlanders (26-1) squandered a 2-0 lead in games and fell apart in the deciding fifth game in a Division I semifinal.

Cameron Dickson had 25 kills, Ryan Moberly had 24 and Bryan Reinstein added 22 for top-seeded Royal. Setter Matt Janousek had 79 assists.

Corona del Mar (16-2), seeded No. 4, was led by Dennis Alshuler and Greg Stampley with 24 kills each.

“They played better defense than we did,” Royal Coach Bob Ferguson said. “They dug everything we threw at them. I’ve never seen a team dig a ball consistently through the game like that.”

Royal hadn’t been forced to five games in a match and went past three games only twice before Wednesday night. The Highlanders’ lack of experience in tight matches was apparent in the fifth game, when they surrendered 13 of the final 14 points.