Sea Kings Bounce Back to Reach Final

For a moment, Santa Margarita appeared ready to knock third-seeded Corona del Mar out of the semifinals of the Southern Section Division I boys’ volleyball playoffs Wednesday at Newport Harbor High. But the Eagles couldn’t seize that opportunity.

After three crucial hitting errors in Game 3, Santa Margarita was buried beneath a flurry of tough serves and blocks and Corona del Mar advanced with a 15-4, 9-15, 16-14, 15-8 victory.

Corona del Mar (21-1) advanced to Saturday’s 7 p.m. final at Cypress College to face Newport Harbor, which defeated Manhattan Beach Mira Costa. Corona del Mar has beaten Newport Harbor three times this season, but lost in last season’s Division I final to the Sailors.

“Hopefully, our best match is still in front of us,” Corona del Mar Coach Steve Conti said. “We got by this one on blood and guts.”

Corona del Mar’s standouts delivered as usual--Stanford-bound setter Kevin Hansen had 64 assists, 11 digs and six blocks, and outside hitter Greg Stampley had 32 kills, eight blocks and 16 digs--but the Sea Kings weren’t sharp throughout the match.

After the teams split the first two games, Santa Margarita junior middle blocker Damien Scott had four kills and two blocks in a run in which the Eagles (15-6) scored seven of nine points to pull ahead, 14-12.

But Corona del Mar’s Charlie Alshuler put away a spike from the middle for a kill and a side out, then hitting errors by Scott and junior Blake Robinson pulled Corona del Mar even, 14-14.

Then two kills by Stampley gave the Sea Kings a side out and another point and they won the game after Robinson spiked it long out of the back row.

“We fought back in that game,” Santa Margarita Coach Eddie Rapp said. “We just didn’t close it out.”

The Eagles, who were gritty enough to pull out five-game victories over Simi Valley Royal and second-seeded Irvine in the previous two rounds, tried to hang tough in the fourth game, but one stretch proved their undoing.

Garrett Macklin, a Corona del Mar reserve, served for seven consecutive points to turn a one-point deficit into an 11-5 Sea King lead. Stampley had one solo block and teamed with Hansen and Forrest Mack on three others in the run, which came against one of the Eagles’ strongest rotations.

Although Robinson, Scott and Dustin Creager were all in the front row, Macklin’s tough serves resulted in poorer Santa Margarita passes, which led to Vince Prietto, who had 67 assists, setting the most predictable options.

“We got some great play off the bench and Garrett made some of the biggest plays,” Conti said.

Corona del Mar extended the lead to 14-5 before Santa Margarita fought off four match points. A kill by Alec Hanson gave the Sea Kings their final side out at 14-8, and Stampley put one away from the back row to end it.

“We were scrapping for every single point,” said Stampley, a 6-foot-4 senior who will attend USC and play for the Trojans as a walk-on next season. “It’s great to be back in the final, and with Newport-Corona, we know anything can happen.”