CIF SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS: Mira Costa boys volleyball comes up short against Loyola
by Mark McDermott In a clash of archrivals who also happened to be the two top ranked boys volleyball teams in the nation, top-ranked Mira Costa just couldn’t get over the hump. The Mustangs lost in straight sets to the Loyola Cubs in a match that was closer – and for Mira Costa, more frustrating – than its results suggested. Loyola defeated Mira Costa 25-21, 25-22, 25-21 on its way to its 13th CIF Southern Section title, its first since 2016. The victory brought the Cubs to 29-1-1 for the year. The Cub’s star outside hitter, Sean Kelly, showed why he is widely considered the best high school volleyball player in the country with a dominating performance at the service line and stunningly athletic kills throughout the match. Beginning in the first set with a key three-point serving sequence that included an emphatic ace that put his team ahead 11-8 in the first set, Kelly willed his team to victory in key moments. Kelly, who is from Manhattan Beach, acknowledged afterwards that this victory meant something more than the CIF title. “Those Costa dudes have been our best friends for a long time so I love all those dudes,” Kelly told the Daily Breeze. “On the court, it’s a different…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com