After splitting their head-to-head competitions this season, the boys beach volleyball teams from Mira Costa and Redondo are looking forward to rubber match that could possibly determine the champion of the Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League (IBVL).
Playoffs for the team championship begin Thursday, Oct. 9 at Dockweiler State Beach. Winners advanced to play on Saturday, Oct. 11 when the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be held at Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica.
Bay Division champion Mira Costa (7-3 overall, 7-1 in division) takes on San Marcos (5-5) Thursday at 4 p.m. and defending champion Redondo (8-2, 6-2) faces Camarillo (8-2) at 4:30 p.m.
“We’re very pleased with our team’s progress so far this year,” Mira Costa coach Scott Davenport said. “Our guys have been working hard at practices and their efforts are showing in our performances – first by winning league and second by winning two medals this past weekend in the pairs championship. Our normal No. 1 and No. 3 teams have gone undefeated all year in league and our No. 2 team has only lost one match in league play. Looking ahead to next weekend’s team competition, we feel that we have very strong pairings at all three spots. Our depth gives us a good chance at going deep in the team championships.”
Mira Costa, which had swept rival Redondo in its first meeting, suffered its only division loss in the final week of the regular season when the Sea Hawks defeated the Mustangs 2-1.
After Redondo’s No. 1 team of Lucas Lossone and Logan Glave edged Mira Costa’s No. 1 team 21-13, 18-21, 15-13 and the head-to-head match up on the line with No. 2 teams facing off, the Sea Hawks emerged victorious when Logan Gehman and Sean-Michael Cramer rallied to defeat Tanner Smith and Jackson Wedbush 20-22, 21-19, 16-14.
“With the strength of all three of our teams, we definitely have a chance to win the championship,” said Andy Huchel, who partners with Roy McFarland to comprise Mira Costa No. 1 team. “We just have to stick to the fundamentals and play hard.”
Redondo’s JV team will be playing for the JV Championship Thursday at 5 p.m. when the Sea Hawks face the winner of the San Clemente-Westlake match.
On Saturday, Oct. 4 the IBVL Pairs Championships were held with South Bay teams earning three of the four medal spots.
Mira Costa’s McFarland and Huchel took home silver medals while teammates Smith and Wedbush joined Redondo’s Lossone and Glave as bronze medalists.
McFarland and Huchel lost to Saddleback Valley Christian 21-18 in the finals.
“We had a good chance to get first place,’ Huchel said. “We played aggressively, but we could have served tougher. It was a hard loss for us. Saddleback was definitely a great team, and we hope to have another chance to play against them in the team championships.”
