Boys volleyball: CdM sweeps
Steve Virgen
CORONA DEL MAR - In the world of sports, it’s called, “peaking at
the right time,” and it’s usually said during playoff action. That term
would most certainly describe the Corona del Mar High boys volleyball
team, which came together for a total team effort and swept visiting
Harvard-Westlake to advance to the CIF Southern Section Division IV
semifinals Friday night.
Led by three seniors, Spencer Miller, Ryan Inman and John Grod, who
accurately fulfilled their roles, the Sea Kings defeated the Wolverines,
15-2, 15-10, 15-12.
CdM (14-7) will face Pacific Coast League champion and No. 2-seeded
Northwood Wednesday night at an alternate site.
“We did everything right,” said CdM Coach Steve Conti, whose team will
by eyeing its sixth straight appearance in the CIF title match with a
victory on Wednesday. “We were just so quick. It was just so great to
see. We’re coming together at the right time. It was great to see the
seniors come together. You can tell they came (Friday night) to lead.”
Miller amassed 41 assists, while Inman collected a match-high 17 kills
and four stuff blocks. Grod, who contributed eight kills and two stuff
blocks, led the Sea Kings with emotion that notably provided his
teammates with momentum.
“The past week against Ocean View I had a bad attitude,” said Grod, a
team captain. “I made a promise to Coach that I would always come out
with a great attitude. I wanted to come through with emotion, especially
in that last game. I just kept at it and we got fired up. We came
together and came back and won.”
Conti said the three seniors played their best match of the season, in
regard to playing as a team, and he said it was one of the best matches
played by the Sea Kings, mainly because of the three seniors.
“I don’t focus on getting the most kills,” Grod said. “I want to be
there for passing and I want to be a leader. That’s my most important
role.”
In Game 3, the Sea Kings battled back from deficits of 8-1, and, 12-8,
before answering with the 15-12 victory. CdM 6-foot-6 middle blocker Eric
Jones (14 kills) provided a game-high eight kills, while Inman chipped in
five kills and two stuff blocks.
Conti called his first timeout of the match, when the Wolverines
(14-5) went up 6-1. But, later, CdM drew momentum when junior Miles
Yourman served for three straight points to put the Sea Kings closer,
9-7. CdM freshman Kevin Welch, who had eight kills, slammed a kill off a
Miller set for the Sea Kings’ seventh point.
Down, 12-8, CdM continued its comeback when freshman Tom Welch,
Kevin’s twin brother, served for eight straight points. Inman had a block
and a kill, while Grod had a kill and the Wolverines committed five
errors during the run.
“We had a true team effort,” Conti said. “We really played a complete
game. We blocked balls and we served tough. We just played great
volleyball. It’s so exciting for me to watch this team fight through the
adversity we had. Earlier in the year we weren’t a team that could come
back (as in Game 3).”
Yourman came up with four stuff blocks and Jones had five kills to
lead the Sea Kings to the easy 15-2 first-game victory.
Perhaps the best game of the night came in Game 2, when CdM pulled
away from a 9-9 tie to win, 15-10. That game featured the most rallies,
of which the Sea Kings won the majority.
The Wolverines, the runners-up in the Mission League, were led by
senior Max Shapiro (16 kills) and setter Danny Miller (48 assists).
Northwood, which went undefeated in league, swept Corona in PCL play,
but the Sea Kings believe they are a different team.
“We’re a completely different team,” Grod said.
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