Mustangs end volleyball season on high note
There will be a new banner to hang in Fisher Gym, just not the one Mira Costa’s boys volleyball team wanted.
The Mustangs breezed through the CIF Southern California Regional championships, capturing their first title of the tournament with a 25-18, 25-18, 25-20 victory over San Diego Section champion Mt. Carmel.
Stanford-bound Eric Mochalski kisses the plaque after Mira Costa won the CIF Southern California Regional Championship in the final match of his prep career. Photo
Mira Costa Head Coach Mike Ninnis quickly had his team refocused after suffering a disappointing four-game loss to Loyola in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship match. The Mustangs swept Clovis North and Southern Section Division 3 champion Norco before downing second-seeded Mt. Carmel.
Midway in the Mustang’s first game with Mt. Carmel, Loyola players entered the bleachers prior to their championship win over Esperanza. Seeing their rivals in the stands seemed to add a spark to the Mustangs who jumped out to a 20-14 win and never looked back.
Eric Mochalski had a game-high 12 kills, adding four aces and Kevin Donohue recorded 11 kills for Mira Costa. Jace Olson added 10 kills, DJ White had eight kills and six digs and setter Bryce Miller recorded 25 assists in the win.
“It was important for us to refocus and end the year on a high note,” Ninnis said of his team, which finished with a 37-2 record and a two-year mark of 70-4.
Mira Costa’s average score in its nine games throughout the tournament was 25-15.5. The margin afforded the opportunity for many non-starters on the senior-laden team to see action, including 6-foot-3 sophomore Chris Orenic who led the team with 11 kills in the Mustang’s opening-round win over Clovis North.
Next season Mira Costa returns only six players from its 20-man roster, but don’t look for the perennial power to drop off much. Under the tutelage of former head coach Mike Cook, Mira Costa’s junior varsity team did not lose a single game this year and hasn’t dropped a match in the last two seasons.
“Next year will be a completely different team,” Ninnis said. “We’ll have a different look but will be competitive. We have a lot of spirited athletes and will have a strong defense.” ER