Woodbridge Ambushes Villa Park in Volleyball

A team’s regular-season record doesn’t always reflect its postseason potential.

Woodbridge, which came in with a 7-7 record, made that point with a 15-3, 15-3, 15-7 victory over host Villa Park in a Southern Section Division II first-round boys’ volleyball playoff match.

“It just prepares us for this,” Woodbridge Coach Andrew Clifton said of his team’s tough regular-season schedule, which included matches against No. 6 Irvine, No. 7 Newport Harbor and top-ranked Foothill. “With a win or loss, we were still getting experience.”

The Warriors will play top-seeded Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in the second round Tuesday.

Woodbridge’s front line dominated play and set the tone early. The Warriors had four blocks for points in the first game as they jumped out to an 11-1 lead.

The trend continued in the next two games as Villa Park, making its second postseason appearance, fell behind, 9-1, in the second game, and 9-2 in the third.

Woodbridge’s Casey Armstrong had a match-high nine kills, and Scott Sebek had eight. Setter Blake Searles had 30 assists, seven digs and four blocks.

Jake Huntley had six kills and four digs and Matt Greco had five kills for Villa Park.