Bucs volleyball wins in five

* VOLLEYBALL: Outside hitter Poyer Poia tallied 24 kills while

Kaimana Kamalani added 19 kills and 12 digs to lead host Orange Coast

College to a 26-30, 30-28, 27-30, 30-20, 15-8 nonconference victory

over Wisconsin-based Cardinal Stritch Friday.

Down, 2-1 in games, the Pirates slammed Cardinal Stritch with a

30-20 setback in Game 4.

Freshman setter Mike Murphy provided the spark the Bucs needed to

get over the hump in Game 4. He stepped back to the service line and

fired the team to nine consecutive points, posting a pair of aces

during the stretch, to help the Pirates to a 19-10 lead.

The Wolves called time out, regrouped and were able to close to

22-19, but Kamalani put away a kill and then recorded ace of his own

to push the lead back to five. A service error gave the ball back to

Stritch, but a blocking error put the ball back in Coast hands and

the Pirates were able to run the table to even the match at two games

apiece.

The Coast defense stepped up its play in the final two games, led

by libero Kaione Scott (nine digs), and Dane Gilliam (four blocks).

Murphy finished with 39 assists as Coast improved to 12-4.

Orange Coast returns to conference play on Wednesday when it hosts

Irvine Valley at 7 p.m.

Tars upset Aztecs, split

* VOLLEYBALL: The Newport Harbor High boys volleyball team upset

Esperanza, ranked No. 2 in Orange County, 15-10, 17-15, to create a

Division I pool play split on the opening day of the Orange County

Championships Friday at Edison High.

The Sailors (4-5 including best-of-three matches) let leads slip

away in both games of a 15-12, 15-13 loss to Mission Viejo, also

Friday.

Senior Mike Toole had a team-high 10 kills against Mission Viejo,

then was joined by senior Paul Toman with 10 kills apiece against

Esperanza.

Junior setter Adam Schlesinger had 44 of his combined 75 assists

against Esperanza.

The Tars conclude pool play today at 8 a.m. against host Edison.

If they can gain a top-two finish in their pool, the would open the

championship playoffs at 11 a.m. at Edison. Should they fail to

finish in the top two, they would play in consolation matches at

Marina High.

Mesa falls in three

* VOLLEYBALL: Costa Mesa High’s boys volleyball team, despite

some standout blocking efforts from Garrett Walthers and John Santos,

suffered a 15-4, 15-5, 15-7 nonleague loss at Western Friday, falling

to 1-5.

The Mustangs open Golden West league play on Wednesday, hosting

Orange.

Eagles sparkle

* SWIMMING: Anthony Hermann tallied a personal best in the

100-yard breaststroke and Sean Goodman set a personal record in the

200 individual medley to lead Estancia High’s boys swim team to a

92-70 nonleague victory over visiting Orange Lutheran.

Hermann touched in 1:17.40 while Goodman finished in 2:31.21. Chad

Kunnert collected multiple wins in the 200 freestyle (2:05.13) and

500 free (5:38.79), which Coach John Carpenter said are close to

qualifying times for the CIF preliminaries.

The Eagles (4-1) had victories in both the 200 medley and 200 free

relays. Goodman, Nathan Marsteller, Kunnert and Paul Collier teamed

to touch in 59.22 in the 200 medley, while Marsteller, Jason

Echanique, Hermann and Richard McElveney teamed to win the 200 free

in 4:16.2.

* In the girls meet: Estancia High’s girls swim team won three

events, but it was not enough to defeat visiting Orange Lutheran.

The Lancers showed their might with a 93-76 victory in Estancia’s

pool.

Marilyn Reich and Amaryah Thaler each won individual events: Reich

in the 200-yard individual medley (2:39.42), while Thaler led all in

the 100 breaststroke (1:30).

Estancia’s 400 free relay team of Lihini Keenawinna, Thaler,

Britta Pitti and Reich touched first in 4:38.3.

Keenawinna and Carolina Barnes each tallied two second-place

finishes to go with on each from Courtney Hess and Reich for the

Eagles (1-1).

Estancia hosts Santa Ana on Wednesday in Golden West League

competition.

Vanguard drops two

* COLLEGE SOFTBALL: The Vanguard University softball team scored

three runs in two games and lost twice to open play in the Pittsburgh

State Tournament in Kansas Friday.

The Lions (15-8-1) began their first game of the day with two runs

in the first inning, but they lost, 6-2, to Minnesota State

University (Mankato). Freshman Krystal Keltner took her first

pitching loss of the season, falling to 7-1.

In Vanguard’s second game of pool play action, the Lions’

late-game rally fell short and Missouri Southern State won, 2-1.

Trailing, 2-0, sophomore Lindsay Dyer, a pinch hitter for Vanguard,

earned the Lions’ lone RBI with a two-out RBI single to score

sophomore Lisa Jackson in the top of the seventh.

Vanguard returns to action today at 8 a.m. against Bellevue and

the Lions are scheduled to play at least two games.

Pittsburgh St. Tourney

*--*

Pool play (Game 1)

Minnesota St. 6, Vanguard 2

Score by Innings

Vanguard 200 000 0 -- 2 4 3

Minnesota 411 000 x -- 6 11 0

Keltner and Rolle, Smidt (6); Mamer and

Hyde. W -- Mamer. L -- Keltner, 7-1. 2B --

Dittman (M), Walsh (M)

*--*

*--*

Pool play (Game 2)

Missouri So. St. 2, Vanguard 1

Score by Innings

Vanguard 000 000 1 -- 1 4 1

Missouri 100 001 x -- 2 6 0

Ball and Rolle; Allison and Barrow. W --

Allison. L - Ball, 5-6. 2B -- Allison (MS)

*--*

Sage Hill stays perfect

* VOLLEYBALL: The Sage Hill School boys volleyball team remained

unbeaten with a 12-15, 15-11, 15-1, 15-10 Academy League win over

visiting Whitney Friday.

The Lightning (4-0, 3-0 in league) was paced by junior Kevin

Joyce, who had 22 kills and 11 jump-serve aces.

Macsun Frederick added 10 kills and Julian Smith-Newman chipped in

26 assists for the winners. Whitney fell to 3-4, 1-1 in league.

Sage Hill is at Oxford Academy on Tuesday, starting at 6 p.m.