Corona del Mar sends message to PCL foes

After the supposed showdown for Pacific Coast League supremacy

fizzled to an anticlimactic end, Corona del Mar High boys volleyball

coach Steve Conti invoked a somewhat grizzly metaphor to describe the

commanding 9-15, 15-9, 15-9, 15-6 comeback victory over host Laguna

Beach that may prove to be the turning point of his team’s season.

“It seemed like all the zest was out of it,” Conti said of a

less-than-intense fourth game, in which the Breakers unexpectedly

emptied their bench, trailed, 12-2, and were finished off by an

emphatic stuff block by CdM senior middle blocker Eric Jones.

“It was good to see we were the team applying pressure and that we

were the ones going for the jugular, rather than us being the team

with our throat slit, bleeding out all over the court,” Conti said.

“We’ve been [the victim] in that situation before this season.”

Indeed the Sea Kings recovered from a first-game lull to generate

cold-blooded efficiency, turning consistently accurate passes into a

quick transition kills with a devastating middle attack led by senior

Miles Yourman, as well as Jones.

The 6-foot-2 Yourman, who had just four kills the first 45 minutes

of the 90-minute match, finished with a match-high 18. The 6-6

Stanford-bound Jones, playing in only his second match of the season,

added nine kills and a match-high five stuff blocks against a Laguna

unit with a glaring hole in the middle.

“We lost our starting senior middle blocker yesterday to academic

ineligibility and we have a backup middle who blew his knee out in

soccer,” Laguna Beach Coach Curt Hanson said. “We were scrambling out

there to find someone to put in the middle and we didn’t block a

ball. [The Sea Kings] were more steady than we were and they

exploited us [in the middle]. We had one day of practice to try it

out. I’m no magician.”

CdM managed little magic in the opening game, when the hosts

erased a 6-3 deficit and pulled away from a 7-7 deadlock to win the

31-minute game.

But, after building an 8-3 lead in the second game, the visitors

never let Laguna come closer than four points, evening the match and

seizing the momentum.

“This team has shown flashes of brilliance and flashes of

inconsistency,” Conti said. “[The latter] was apparent in the first

game, when we missed six serves, didn’t pass well and didn’t defend

well. But, after that, we started to control the ball and establish

the middle.”

Conti said he was also encouraged that CdM never relinquished the

momentum in the final three games.

“I liked the way we not only closed them out in four, but won the

fourth game on a stuff block on our first match point. To beat a good

team on the road in a match between two teams that are going to

battle for the PCL [title] is the kind of win that could be very good

for my team. This should help our confidence.”

Conti praised Yourman’s ability to hit with power and intelligence

and was also pleased with senior setter Greg Gabriel’s willingness to

feed the middle en route to 51 assists.

Sophomore outside hitter Kevin Welch kept Laguna blockers honest

by adding 17 kills for the winners (6-8, 1-0 in league), while

sophomore Tom Welch chipped in seven and senior Bart Welch

contributed six for the CdM brother act.

Matt Anderson, a 6-5 senior who earned All-CIF honors last year,

paced the Breakers (4-8, 0-1) with 11 kills.

Elsewhere in high school boys volleyball Wednesday:

* Costa Mesa fell 14-16, 11-15, 15-9, 15-11, 10-15, in a Golden

West League match at Westminster.

The Mustangs led the fifth game, 7-6, before Westminster rattled

off seven consecutive points to secure the victory.

Mesa (1-9, 0-4 in league) trailed, 13-5, in the first game before

rallying to force the 16-14 decision.

Danny Krikorian, Adam Nili and Garrett Walthers each led Mesa with

eight kills while Gabriel Gonzales collected seven stuff blocks.

Mitch Mandel tallied 20 digs and Krikorian also had five service

aces.

* Juniors Josh Kornegay and Kris Hartwell recorded 14 kills each

to help lead Estancia to a 15-4, 15-2, 15-8 Golden West League

victory over visiting Orange.

Sophomore setter Trevor Holmes amassed 38 assists, while junior

Brad Larsen contributed 10 digs. The Eagles remained undefeated in

league play, improving to 5-0, and they are 11-2 overall.