Pacifica Christian boys’ volleyball powers through playoff opener
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Pacifica Christian’s boys’ volleyball team has been able to play a game of deception up until now, one that is unlikely to last as the CIF Southern Section playoffs progress.
A full-strength Tritons squad is far different than the one that began the season, and the results continue to speak for themselves.
Quinn McIntee had 14 kills and three service aces to spearhead Pacifica Christian to a 25-16, 25-16, 25-19 win over visiting Etiwanda on Wednesday in the opening round of the Division 5 bracket.
McIntee, a sophomore opposite, transferred in from Crean Lutheran, which last year was a semifinalist in Division 4. The Tritons are 8-3 with the southpaw striker in the lineup since he was activated from a required sit-out period on March 21.
“It’s been incredible,” Pacifica Christian coach Cory Swartzbaugh said of McIntee’s impact. “His experience, in general, has just changed the dynamic of our entire team. He wins a lot in club and is on a very high-level team at Balboa, so that experience, and the way that he humbly brings it to the table to better his teammates and lay himself on the line for his teammates, it’s been astronomical for us.”
Pacifica Christian (12-15) won the San Joaquin League title with its hot stretch of play to close the regular season. The Tritons will travel on Friday to take on Long Beach St. Anthony (11-7), a straight-sets winner over visiting Oxford Academy in the first round.
“Our goal is to be in the finals,” said setter Atticus Graham, who had 34 assists and two block assists. “We want to win that [championship]. That would be the top of my senior year and my whole Pacifica experience.”
McIntee added he wants to give the seniors “the best opportunity to make this run in their final year.” He was close last year, when the Saints’ run was ended by a Sage Hill team led by walking mismatch Jackson Cryst. The Lightning won two CIF titles and a state championship in Cryst’s time at the school.
“People may not think as highly of us because of our record, but that kind of gives us an advantage,” McIntee said. “I’m excited to go into these next couple of rounds, take one game at a time, obviously, and hopefully get to that CIF final and win.”
The first set was a dead heat until its midway point. With the score tied, 14-14, McIntee and sophomore pin hitter Jonas Packiam oversaw a pair of serving runs that took the drama out of it.
Pacifica Christian counted on its serving prowess to provide its defense with more predictability, resulting in a combined five blocks. The Tritons also totaled nine aces.
“[Etiwanda] came out going,” McIntee said. “They were hitting hard, they were getting some blocks, and I feel like we just really stayed in it. We just kind of gritted ourselves through that game, and it was able to help us get runs, at times, from the service line. I feel like that was really crucial to help us pull through.”
Senior outside hitter Ryan Pearson provided 11 kills and 1½ blocks for Pacifica Christian. Junior middle blocker Kallai Kumar added five kills, three aces and 1½ blocks, and senior middle blocker Grayson Baker chipped in with seven kills and two block assists.
“Kallai’s been great,” Swartzbaugh said. “We experimented with him when he was first coming back from injury on the pin, decided to pull the plug and just put him back where he was more comfortable in the middle. He’s been very strong for us there, both attacking and blocking.
“Historically, … we struggled with setting him high enough, and the flow was never there. Atticus, our setter this year, has been able to figure out how to feed him properly, which is huge.”
Cohen Jimeno had 10 kills to pace Etiwanda (12-14). Owen Mortensen added seven kills, and Rodrick De La Cruz distributed 23 assists.
