Eagles Advance to Final

It was a match tougher than Santa Margarita expected against a team the Eagles had a hard time putting away, but they finally seized momentum against Moorpark and pulled away to a 15-11, 15-8, 12-15, 15-5 victory in a Southern Section Division III boys’ volleyball semifinal at Newport Harbor High.

Blake Robinson had 31 kills and eight blocks to lead Santa Margarita and Damien Scott had 14 kills and 11 blocks, including a match-ending stuff block that put Santa Margarita into a section final for the third time in the last five years.

The second-seeded Eagles, who won the Division I title in 1998 and the Division II title in 1997, will face Serra League rival Mater Dei, seeded No. 4, for the Division III title Saturday at Cypress College. The match begins at 1 p.m.

The No. 2-seeded Eagles let large leads slip away in each of the first two games and fell behind and then rallied before losing game three. But they turned it up a notch and cruised in the final game.

“We’re not satisfied yet,” Santa Margarita Coach John Hawks said. “We set a goal not only to get to the championship game, but to win the title.”

Moorpark (15-6) did not back down despite falling behind 11-4 in the first game and 11-1 in Game 2. The Musketeers surprised many by advancing to the semifinals after squeaking into the playoffs as the third-place team from the Marmonte League.

They defeated third-seeded Santa Barbara San Marcos in the quarterfinals and Hawks said that made them a good bet to upset his squad.

“It’s tough playing a team that has nothing to lose,” Hawks said. “Looking at the bracket when this started, I kind of overlooked them. I expected to see San Marcos in the semifinals. I think everyone did.”

Santa Margarita setter Jack Pichard, playing with a broken finger suffered in a quarterfinal victory Saturday against Westlake, had 67 assists.

Santa Margarita and Mater Dei met twice in league play this season, with the Eagles winning easily, 15-5, 15-7, 15-3, on April 5, then outlasting the Monarchs, 12-15, 11-15, 15-11, 15-11, 15-5, on April 26.

“We know we’re going to play a quality team,” Hawks said. “That’s what you want in the final.”