Boys volleyball: CdM wins, will meet Tars in final

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Corona del Mar High boys volleyball coach Steve

Conti said visiting Santa Margarita served tougher and played better

defense than his Sea Kings in Wednesday’s CIF Southern Section Division I

semifinal at Newport Harbor High.

But the No. 3-seeded hosts (21-1) did have something the Eagles (15-6)

didn’t -- at least not any more.

CdM junior Garrett Macklin, who started on the Santa Margarita frosh-soph

two seasons ago, before ditching the long commute to the Saddleback

Valley and enrolling at the school a long jump serve from his house,

added a serious third-game spark to key a 15-4, 9-15, 16-14, 15-8

victory.

Macklin, who had not seen the court until Conti sent him to the service

line with the Sea Kings trailing, 7-6, served four straight points,

including a pair of jump-serve aces, to help the Sea Kings build a 10-7

edge.

Santa Margarita rallied and eventually served for the game, which would

have given it a 2-1 lead in games.

But CdM summoned what Conti later called “blood and guts,” to prevail,

16-14. The Sea Kings then closed out the match to advance to its fourth

straight section title match.

CdM will play Back Bay rival Newport Harbor, which it has beaten three

times already this year, in the 7 p.m. title showdown at Cypress College.

It’s also a rematch of last year’s Division I final, won by Newport

Harbor in four games.

“It’s funny, but maybe the guy who got the least playing time for us,

made the biggest plays tonight,” Conti said of Macklin, who later noted

one of his aces dropped at the feet of his best friend, Santa Margarita

junior Blake Robinson.”

“I came in cold and when (the Eagles) called that timeout (after a Greg

Stampley kill pulled CdM even, 7-7) my knees were shaking,” Macklin said.

Still, he was steady enough to dive bomb consecutive rockets, which

helped the Sea Kings gain their collective footing.

“We were rattled in Game 2, but I think we regained our composure,” Conti

said. “We’ve had a lot of guys contributing all season and we tell our

guys you never know when your number is going to be called. (Macklin’s)

was called tonight.”

Macklin’s may have been the most dramatic contribution, but the efforts

of several teammates were more quantitative.

Stampley, a senior outside hitter, finished with a match-high 34 kills,

while senior Alec Hanson (11) and Forrest Mack (10) were also in double

figures.

Senior All-CIF setter Kevin Hansen, bound for Stanford, collected 63

assists to go with six kills and four stuff blocks.

The Sea Kings, who had not lost a game in three previous playoff matches,

rolled in the opening game.

But Santa Margarita, for whom seven-year coach Eddie Rapp coached his

final match (he’s off to coach at Fullerton College), built an 11-5 edge

in the second game, then withstood a CdM surge to even the match. It was

the only game the Eagles took off CdM in nine tries this spring.

Robinson, who lives in the CdM attendance boundaries, paced a balanced

Eagle attack with 24 kills. Dustin Creager (19) and Damien Scott (16)

were also frequent targets for setter Vince Prieto (68 assists).

Charlie Alshuler pounded a quick set to stave off Santa Margarita, up,

14-12, in the third game, then two Eagle hitting errors tied it at 14.

A Stampley kill earned the next point and Robinson boomed one long from

the back row to put CdM back in command.

The two teams exchanged 25 sideouts before the third point was scored in

the 38-minute final game. Santa Margarita led, 5-4, before CdM reeled off

seven straight. CdM’s former Sea View League rival closed the 14-5

deficit to 14-8, before Stampley closed it out with a kill.

Those two guys (Hansen and Stampley) really help make us a strong team,”

Conti said. “We didn’t play our best match tonight, so hopefully that

will come Saturday.”