Mira Costa boys win second straight beach volleyball title
Harrison Murphy holds Mira Costa’s IBVL championship plaque in front of team members (left to right) coaches Kyle Denitz and Brian Cook, Adam Sevier, Chase Pinkerton, Max Cajuste, Jack Walmer, Bobby Barkley, Thomas Kretschmer, Sam Collins, Dane Johnson, Christian Cavallo, coaches Avery Drost and Miles Evans. Photo courtesy of Anna Johnson
Not to be outdone by Mira Costa’s girls beach volleyball program, the Mustang boys are building a dynasty of their own.
Mira Costa won its second consecutive Southern Pacific Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League boys championship in the league’s four-year history, sweeping rival Loyola in the finals Oct. 7 at Dockweiler State Beach.
Loyola had upset Palisades Charter, the only school to defeat Mira Costa this season, in the semifinals.
Winning on Court 1 were senior Bobby Barkley and Dane Johnson, Court 2 victors were senior Max Cajuste and sophomore Jack Walmer while junior Thomas Kretschmer and sophomore Sam Collins took care of business on Court 3.
“As a senior it feels amazing winning back-to-back titles,” Johnson said. “When we won our first championship last year, it motivated the whole team to win it again. To pull it off in the end couldn’t have been any sweeter.”
Seniors Harrison Murphy, Christian Cavallo and juniors Chase Pinkerton and Adam Sevier were alternates.
“The toughest schools we played this year were Pali, Loyola, and Redondo.” Johnson said. “Whether we won or lost, when we played against one of those schools, it was always decided by two points.”
Going into the finals, Manhattan Beach residents Barkley and Johnson were well aware of the ability of Loyola’s No. 1 team of Luke Grafton and Luke Turner, both of Hermosa Beach. Grafton has teamed with both of the Mira Costa standouts in multiple AAU and/or CBVA youth tournaments.
The two teams squared off again in the finals of the IBVL Pairs Championships on Oct. 14 with Barkley and Johnson winning gold.
Mira Costa’s JV and Frosh/Soph teams also won titles in their respective divisions. In the JV Tournament of Champions, Mira Costa’s JV team captured the title with a win over Arroyo Grande JV while the Mustang’s Frosh/Soph team finished third.
“The upcoming teams have more talent than ever,” Johnson said. “I have faith in them that they can keep bringing Mira Costa championships.”