Mira Costa, Peninsula reach boys volleyball CIF SoCal Regional championships
Sam Collins make a devastating kill against Newport Harbor in the CIF champion match. The two teams meet again Saturday for the SoCal title. Photo
Mira Costa’s boys volleyball team has one final opportunity to defeat nemesis Newport Harbor when the two teams meet for the CIF Southern California Division 1 title at 6 p.m tonight.
The host Sailors (38-1) will take on the Mustangs for the fourth this season, giving Mira Costa (25-6) one final shot for a victory against the top-ranked team in the nation.
Newport Harbor’s lone loss came at the hands of Corona del Mar (No. 7 in the nation) in mid-April when the Sailors dropped the match 3-0. Mira Costa is ranked second in the nation.
Newport Harbor reached the Southern California title match after bouncing back from a two-set deficit to edge Loyola 27-29, 24-26, 25-19, 25-13, 15-9.
Mira Costa swept Palisades, avenging a 2-0 defeat by the Dolphins in the Redondo Varsity Classic on April 20. The Mustangs are looking to even their record in the SoCa Championships at 2-2 after winning it all in 2016.
Ben Coordt had a match-high 13 kills and three blocks to lead Mira Costa while Adam Sevier and Dain Johnson combined for 11 of the Mustangs 18 blocks.
Johnson finished with 19 kills and six blocks
Palisades jumped out to an 11-6 lead in the third game before Mira Costa recorded 14 of the next 18 points to hold a 20-15 lead. Sevier then got hot scoring four of the final five points on two kills and two blocks. In the match, Sevier had seven kills and blocks and Thomas Kretschmer recorded nine kills and three blocks.
In Division 3, Peninsula (25-13) defeated Mt. Carmel 25-8, 25-22, 22-25, 25-19 to advance to the championship match when they play at host Oak Park (29-13) who defeated Poway 3-0 in the semifinals.