Martin’s Knee Injury May Be Low Blow for El Toro

El Toro, the fifth-ranked team in the county, took a big step toward winning its first league title since 1994 with last week’s convincing three-game victory over No. 6 San Clemente.

But the Chargers’ Southern Section championship hopes also took a hit.

Outside hitter Kyle Martin, a 6-foot-5 senior who has signed with UC Irvine, suffered a knee injury early in the San Clemente match, but returned to play in the final two games. But he didn’t play last Thursday against Capistrano Valley, a match the Chargers lost.

And it doesn’t sound like Martin will be back soon. El Toro Coach Michelle Kyman said the initial diagnosis is that Martin has a medial collateral ligament injury, one that could sideline him for one to six months.

“Kyle is going to have an MRI done [this week],” Kyman said. “The doctor said if it’s torn, he’ll have to have surgery. We’re hoping it’s not that bad, but we’re prepping our team for the worst. Right now, they’re devastated.”

Martin and Jimmy Pelzel form one of the county’s top outside hitter combinations, and the duo’s effectiveness often mirrors the Chargers’ success.

Now, right-side hitter Justin Burden, who was just rounding back into form after recovering from an early-season ankle injury, has to adjust quickly to playing Martin’s left-side position. Steve Gallups is taking Burden’s opposite spot.

“Obviously it was a big blow to our CIF hopes,” Kyman said. “But we still have to win these last two league matches to clinch league. We just have to do the best we can.”

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ANOTHER ANTEATER

Pelzel signed with UC Irvine Tuesday, the school announced. Pelzel will join Martin and Irvine’s B.J. Fell with the Anteaters next season.

Pelzel, a 6-5 outside hitter, was also considering UC Santa Barbara.

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TOURNAMENT WRAP-UP

San Clemente’s Gray Garrett, a 6-5 outside hitter who has signed with UCLA, also suffered a hand injury that slowed him in the loss to El Toro. But the injury wasn’t serious and Garrett just taped it and helped the Tritons finish third at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions last weekend.

Tournament MVPs Kevin Hansen, who has signed with Stanford, and Greg Stampley helped Corona del Mar win the title. The Sea Kings defeated fourth-ranked Newport Harbor in the final, 15-13, 15-9, 15-10.

“They dug us off the court,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said. “We’re getting better, but Corona is just better than us right now.”

Irvine won the Redondo Union tournament, defeating Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in Saturday’s final, 15-8, 15-9. Mira Costa was then-ranked third in the Division I poll and Irvine was fifth.

B.J. Fell, a senior outside hitter who has committed to UC Irvine, was named MVP of the tournament.

“I’m really pleased,” Irvine Coach Mark Mednick said. “I was a little concerned coming off our loss to Newport Harbor. But a win like [Saturday’s], especially at Mira Costa’s gym and playing in a big match, it gives the kids confidence.”

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COMMITMENT

Mednick said Jamie Witmer, a right-side hitter he coached for the Vaquero girls’ team, has committed to Brown. Witmer was a second-team All Southern Section Division I selection and a first-team All-Sea View selection.

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LOOKING AHEAD

No. 2 Corona del Mar (14-1) plays at No. 4 Newport Harbor (12-4) Friday in a nonleague match that could be a playoff preview. Newport Harbor, led by Stanford-bound outside hitter Billy Clayton, has lost in the teams’ first two meetings this season.

Top-ranked Marina (12-1, 7-0) can clinch the Sunset League title outright with a victory at Esperanza (9-5, 5-3) tonight or against Huntington Beach (8-8, 4-3) at home Wednesday. Fountain Valley (9-4, 5-3) is also battling with Esperanza and Huntington Beach for one of the two remaining automatic playoff berths.

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