Sea Kings’ Reed gets MVP honor

NEWPORT BEACH — Emerging from a collection of Orange County’s elite players, some of whom provided him a comfortable shadow from which to operate at Corona del Mar High, was apparently not sufficient for Sea Kings senior Jack Reed on Friday night.

The 6-foot-5 middle blocker also came off the bench to capture Most Valuable Player honors and lead the South to a 25-16, 20-25, 15-11 triumph in the 35th edition of the Dave Mohs Memorial Orange County Boys’ High School All-Star Match at Newport Harbor High.

Reed, bound for UC Santa Barbara, had seven kills, two block assists and one solo block to occupy the spotlight and take home the top honor in the annual showcase for some of the nation’s best.

CdM seniors Parker Brown (an outside hitter who posted a match-high eight kills and added one ace) and setter Joe Ctvrtlik (11 assists), both of whom also play with Reed at the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club, were collective catalysts for the South. Parker and Ctvrtlik both started the first and third set, to help the South prevail.

“We kind of kept that crew together,” said CdM Coach Steve Conti, who shared South coaching duties with Oz Simmons from Dana Hills High and Scott Panero from Laguna Beach High.

Conti said Santa Margarita opposite Mitch Vallis and Newport Harbor libero Max Richley were additional Balboa Bay players that helped fill out the starting lineup.

But Reed, who along with CdM senior Remy Lamons comprised the only two middle blockers on the South roster, was strong throughout.

“I think he gets up really quickly, as quick as any middle,” Conti said of Reed. “He’s got a good arm and he’s able to move the ball around. The other thing that makes him unique is that a lot of middles are middle attackers and not middle blockers. But he’s a very good read blocker as well and I think he showed some of that tonight, when he was able to get some blocks.

The 6-4 Lamons, who is bound for UCLA, chipped in two kills and one block assist, while the UC San Diego-bound Richley contributed his typically precision passes for the winners.

Newport Harbor senior libero Griffin Leggett had an ace serve, one of three for the South, in a match that included 31 combined service errors, 17 by the South.

Reed was obviously pleased with his play, as well as the victory.

“It was a great time,” Reed said. “I was out here with a lot of my friends, so I just wanted to come out and play and have fun. Parker is a great player, a great friend and a great teammate. And I wouldn’t want anybody else setting me besides Joe.”

UC Irvine recruit Phillip Friedman, a 6-4 outside hitter from Capistrano Valley, contributed two kills for the winners.

The North contingent had three players bound for Orange Coast College and another set to play at UCI.

Future Anteater Andrew Benz, a 6-5 middle out of Esperanza, led the North with five kills and three block assists. Darren Sorrell, a 6-9 middle also from Esperanza who is bound for OCC, had four kills and one block assist.

OCC-bound Jo Ko, a 5-8 setter out of Foothill, started for the North, while OCC-bound Blake Auerbach, a 5-11 libero from Esperanza, added back-row stability while managing one ace.

barry.faulkner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5