Edison boys’ volleyball intent on making deep playoff run
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Edison enjoyed a relatively comfortable first-round win on Tuesday to return to the stage where last season ended, perhaps primed to make a deeper run with a better draw and stronger belief.
The second-seeded Chargers swept Citrus Belt League champion Beaumont 25-23, 25-20, 25-18 at home to advance to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 boys’ volleyball playoffs.
It was at this point a year ago that Edison ran into Mater Dei, which went on to win the Division 2 title.
With three seniors in the starting lineup in middle blocker Brent Benson, outside hitter Andrew Boone, and libero William Huffman, coupled with a wealth of players with experience working into the rotation, the Chargers believe now could be their time.
“I think we can go all the way, but I think that comes with hard work,” said Benson, who led the Chargers with a dozen kills and six block assists. “We got another week till our next game, so we’re going to get in the gym. We’re going to keep working.”
Edison (18-14), which travels to take on Arcadia (34-5) on May 5, earned an at-large selection out of the Sunset League. The regular-season gauntlet traditionally leaves all who qualify for the postseason out of it battle-tested before the do-or-die stage.
The Chargers gained confidence from a league win on March 25 over Corona del Mar (25-5), which finished the season ranked fifth overall in CIF.
“That was a big win for us,” sophomore middle blocker Shane Wright said. “It gave us a really good feeling, like we can do anything.”
Wright put an end to a late first-set rally from Beaumont with a kill from the middle, then provided a service ace to clinch the second set. He wound up with eight kills and two aces.
Joel Akins contributed seven kills and three block assists, and Jack Grady added six kills and three aces. Shane Nguyen had 21 assists, while Kion Cumme (eight assists) and Luke Gass (five assists) also handled some setting duties.
“It’s not our first time being here,” Wright added. “It’s not our first time in CIF. I played varsity last year, as a freshman, and got to work. I felt the pressure before, so coming back and knowing what it’s going to be like definitely prepared me for these moments. We’re just feeling strong. The team looked pretty good today.”
Victor Oyelade had a team-high nine kills for Beaumont (27-3). Middle blocker Bryce Jacobson added six kills, four total blocks and two aces, and Robert McGill distributed 23 assists to go with two aces and a solo block.
Edison coach Trent Jackson said that as a middle-dominant team, the Chargers’ practices place a heavy emphasis on passing. Against an opponent with a similar makeup, the physicality of the front rows won out, especially early on.
“When they got a good set, they put the ball away,” Jackson said. “They’re big, physical. They were hitting over our block into the middle of the court, but we’re physical, as well. We sided out at a pretty high rate. They sided out at a pretty high rate. We just edged them out in that first set and then played a little better in the second and the third.”
The loudest ovation may have come when senior Andrew Hoffman, a reserve middle blocker, entered the match late in the third set. He registered a block, followed by a kill on match point.
That was just one of a handful of sources of good vibes around the Edison volleyball program. Earlier in the day, the girls’ beach volleyball team swept Laguna Beach, 5-0, to earn a spot in the CIF Division 2 final.
San Clemente (17-5) was set to visit Torrance Bishop Montgomery (12-1) in the other semifinal on Wednesday. Edison (12-3) is scheduled to play the winner in the girls’ beach volleyball finals at noon on Saturday at Long Beach City College.
“Every single girl that is on our beach team played indoor,” Jackson said. “Those girls are great kids. … I’m super happy for them.”
Also in the CIF Southern Section boys’ volleyball playoffs:
Fountain Valley 3, Riverside Hillcrest 1: The Barons earned a 20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-22 win, handing the Ivy League-champion Trojans just their third loss of the season on Tuesday in the first round of the Division 2 bracket.
Fountain Valley (21-9) will remain on the road to take on Orange Lutheran (22-10) in the quarterfinals on May 5.
The Lancers pulled off the road upset of top-seeded Beckman in four sets on Tuesday.
Pomona Garey 3, Ocean View 2: The host Seahawks suffered a stinging 25-21, 16-25, 13-25, 26-24, 17-15 defeat on Tuesday in a Division 8 playoff opener.
Garey (13-7) will play host to Heritage League co-champion Palmdale Aerospace Academy (15-5) in the second round on Thursday.
Ocean View (14-15) was the third-place team in the Orange Coast League. The Seahawks dropped to 1-5 in five-set matches this season.
