Rival’s Revenge: Cubs take down Mustangs

DJ White and his teammates are stunned after dropping three straight sets in the CIF title match. Photo

Removing his jersey, Eric Mochalski slowly walked to the drinking fountain at the far end of the Cypress College gym. After a couple of sips, the 6-foot, 5-inch senior middle blocker stood up, turned around and looked like he had seen a ghost.

The look of disbelief was warranted. For the second straight year, Mira Costa’s highly ranked boys volleyball team was denied a 7th CIF championship with only its second loss of the season.

After winning the title in 2008, Mira Costa was eliminated in the 2009 semifinals by Mater Dei, a team they had swept earlier that season. This year, the culprit was third-seeded Loyola, a team the top-ranked Mustangs had swept in March.

“Ball control was the key,” the Stanford-bound Mochalski said. “They got touches off the block and what they didn’t touch they would dig. They passed a lot better than we did.”

Mira Costa entered Saturday’s Division 1 CIF Southern Section-Toyota Championship match with a 34-1 record, its only loss coming at the hands of unbeaten national champion Punahou of Honolulu in a 2-1 defeat at the Best of the West Tournament in March.

Although the title match was played at the neutral site of Cypress College, it felt more like a Loyola home game with the vocal Cubs fans out in full force. Even when Mira Costa held a 23-15 lead in the first game, the Loyola team and faithful kept their spirit, ending with an 8-2 run to narrow the losing margin to 25-23.

The experienced Mira Costa team had 14 seniors on its 20-man roster, yet it was the Loyola squad that played with only six seniors that maintained its composure throughout the contest.

Loyola carried the momentum from the first game into the second, coming from a 20-18 deficit to win 27-25. The Cubs refused to let up, winning the final two sets 25-20, 25-16 for their second straight and 11th overall CIF championship. It marked the Cub’s 5th title under Head Coach Michael Boehle.

Mochalski wasn’t the only one stunned with the outcome. His teammates, coaching staff and fans stood silently in disbelief. After all, Mira Costa had only lost four sets the entire year and then Loyola wins three in a row. It didn’t seem possible.

“We’re obviously disappointed,” Mira Costa Head Coach Mike Ninnis said. “When we were up 23-15 and didn’t put them away, we gave them life. We didn’t take advantage of opportunities. But I have to hand it to Loyola. They played very well, their blocking was good and pretty soon frustration set in for us.”

Mochalski had 12 kills and three blocks, Kevin Donohue recorded 12 kills and Davis Waddell added seven kills and six blocks for the Mustangs, whose agony of defeat was amplified by losing to longtime rival Loyola. The Cubs had also defeated the Mustangs in four games to capture the 2005 title.

Each season, most players from both teams know each other and are friends through club and beach volleyball. Kurtis Mirick, Michael Mullahey and Ryan Zoppi are Manhattan Beach residents playing for Loyola this year.

“We grow up playing with or against each other on the beach or with MB Surf and we spend a lot of time hanging out together off the court,” Mochalski said of the rivalry. “We have mutual friends in the stands and its fun being part of a legacy that features some of the best volleyball at that age.”

Mira Costa outside hitter DJ White slams a ball past Loyola sophomore and Manhattan Beach resident Michael Mullahey. Photo

The rivalry between the two schools began when longtime Mira Costa head coach – and current junior varsity head coach – Mike Cook took over the Mustang’s program.

Cook was one of the first coaches when boys volleyball was founded as a club program in 1972 and instrumental in the CIF sanctioning of the sport in 1974. Coaching at Serra High School in Gardena, Cook had struck up a friendship with Loyola’s coach as the two schools competed in the same league. After coming to Mira Costa, Cook began scheduling an annual non-league match with Loyola beginning in 1980 and the rivalry has grown ever since.

“From the beginning, the games were hard fought,” said Cook, who has led the Mustangs to six CIF titles. “The two teams always seem to be among the top ranked teams and we’ve had intense matches throughout the years.”

The scheduled non-league contests between Mira Costa and Loyola, which alternate home sites each year, have grown to draw more than 1,000 spectators. Mira Costa was home team this season but held the match at Redondo High’s larger gymnasium.

“Even though we have our own rivalry, Redondo has been a great sister school over the years,” Cook said. “I would like to see Mira Costa and Loyola play at LMU (Loyola Marymount University) every year.”

Since Cook stepped down from the varsity head coaching position after the 2008 season, his junior varsity teams have gone undefeated the last two seasons and Ninnis said it’s the happiest he’s seen Cook in years.

“I’m loving it,” said Cook, whose team didn’t lose a game in any match this season. “That youth level is refreshing and I think they listen more, take my advice and have more respect.”

*** Jump at least the following to the sports page

Despite the bitter loss Saturday, Mira Costa’s season did not end. The Mustangs qualified for the CIF Southern California Regionals that began Tuesday. Ninnis was disappointed when he learned that Mira Costa would be competing in Division II, eliminating any chance for a revenge match with Loyola which earned the top seed in Division I.

“I absolutely would like the chance to play them again,” Mochalski said. “But we just need to regroup, which isn’t easy. We had a cloud hanging over our heads at school on Monday.”

As a freshman in 2007, Mochalski was brought up to the varsity team for the playoffs and related his experience to his teammates at practice Monday. “We were favored to win in 2007 and lost. The older players would have given anything to have a second chance. We have that opportunity this week.”

Ninnis is excited about the possibility of facing El Segundo in the Division II final. Mira Costa (34-2) is seeded No. 1 and hosted Clovis North (27-8) Tuesday. The winner meets the Cathedral Catholic/San Diego (23-10)-Norco (34-2) winner today. The championship game is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday at Irvine Valley College.

“We just need to re-focus and end the year on a high note,” Ninnis said.

In only the program’s fourth year, El Segundo (22-4) defeated South Torrance 26-24, 25-17, 25-22 in an all-Pioneer League CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship match.

El Segundo earned the No. 6 seed in the Division II Southern California Regionals and played at Westchester (15-3) Tuesday. The winner faces the Westlake (22-4)-Mt. Carmel/San Diego (30-3) winner today in the semifinals.

Despite losing in the semifinals of the CIF Division 5 playoffs, Chadwick (17-10) earned a seventh seed in Division III of the Southern California Regionals and played at Santa Fe Christian (20-4) in Solana Beach Tuesday. ER

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