El Toro Eliminates Errors, Stays Unbeaten in League

With two of the county’s top players hampered by injuries in Tuesday’s boys’ volleyball showdown between El Toro and San Clemente, it was the plays the host Chargers didn’t make that made the difference in a three-game victory.

Jimmy Pelzel had 20 kills and four blocks and Steve Cowell had nine blocks to help El Toro, ranked fourth in the county, defeat No. 6 San Clemente, 15-12, 15-12, 15-11, in the South Coast League match.

“We were steady tonight,” El Toro Coach Michelle Kyman said. “We limited our errors and that’s been a problem for us in the past.”

El Toro (10-1, 7-0) moved to within one victory of clinching its first league title since 1994, and they did it with UC Irvine-bound Kyle Martin hobbling for most of the match.

Martin said he hyperextended his knee midway through Game 1 when he landed on an opponent’s foot after trying to block a shot. Martin returned to the match six points later, but it was clear he wasn’t 100%. He had three kills up to that point but finished with only seven.

Gray Garrett, San Clemente’s UCLA-bound outside hitter, also suffered an injury in Game 1.

“It’s a ligament problem in his left hand or it might even be broken,” San Clemente Coach Ken Goldstone said. “Gray kept playing though. But I can’t remember him ever having such a mediocre night. It took away a lot of his aggressiveness.”

Garrett finished with 15 kills, but his hitting percentage was well below .200 for the match.

The Tritons (7-4, 5-2) struggled, committing 35 hitting errors. El Toro also outblocked San Clemente, 15-7.

Spencer Bemus, who had 16 kills, and Garrett helped San Clemente pull even in Game 3, 10-10. But El Toro won five of the next six points, closing out the match fittingly with a block by Zach Karlan and Scott Panaro.

In the Sea View League:

No. 7 Newport Harbor 3, Laguna Hills 0--Kent Turner had 17 assists, five kills, five digs and three aces for host Newport Harbor (8-3, 5-1), in a 15-1, 15-10, 15-4 victory.

Irvine 3, Aliso Niguel 0--Kris Kraushaar had 13 kills to lead visiting Irvine (11-1, 5-1) to a 15-12, 15-2, 15-2 win.