CdM boys' volleyball overpowered by Mira Costa
MANHATTAN BEACH — Corona del Mar had not lost in more than a month, but with a hot start on its home floor, Manhattan Beach Mira Costa reminded the spectators why it was the top seed in the CIF Southern Section boys' volleyball playoffs.
Mira Costa took charge with heavy jump serving in claiming 12 of the initial 14 points, as the Mustangs stampeded past the Sea Kings 25-13, 25-21, 25-20 to secure a spot in the Division 1 final.
The power ratings prevailed, as the top seed in each pool of the top division advanced. Mira Costa (31-2), a finalist a year ago, will meet Huntington Beach (34-3) in the section championship match on Friday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at Cerritos College.
'It definitely sticks,' said Mira Costa coach Greg Snyder, whose team was the runner-up to Los Angeles Loyola last year. 'I think whoever loses the CIF finals has a clear advantage for the next one. They just get hungrier. If you just look at the track record of what's happened, I think it hasn't been since Newport [Harbor] that they've won twice in a row.
'Usually, the team that finishes second the year before wins the next year. I'm hoping that's the case this year. I hope that trend continues, but we'll have to play it and find out because Huntington's a very, very good team.'
Senior setter Andrew Chapin distributed 31 assists to go with three service aces, three kills and three block assists to lead the Mustangs. Sophomore outside hitter Mateo Fuerbringer had nine kills and three aces.
Apart from its serving, Mira Costa also made matters difficult for CdM (23-6) with its defensive effort, both in retrieving balls on broken plays and in blocking. Early in the third set, junior libero Justin Warner tracked down a ball near the back wall, and senior opposite Grayson Bradford eventually finished the play.
'It's a momentum-killer,' Snyder said of Warner keeping the point alive. 'It crushes their spirits, a play like that. I'm not saying they gave up or anything like that, not at all, but when you're in a tough rally and a play like that happens and you lose that point, it does take a toll mentally on a team. … They still fought hard, … but that was a big play. … It gave us momentum back.'
Senior outside hitter Thatcher Fahlbusch added 11 kills and two block assists. Senior middle blocker Alex Heins produced eight kills and five block assists, and junior middle blocker Wyatt Davis contributed three additional block assists for the Mustangs.
Corona del Mar was attempting to reach the CIF finals for the second time in three seasons (the Sea Kings lost to Newport Harbor in 2023), which would have been its 18th championship game appearance overall.
Junior outside hitter Ben Brown's 11 kills paced the Sea Kings. Junior setter Drake Foley dished out 25 assists. Junior opposite Brady Gant (seven kills) and junior middle blocker Jack Robinson each finished with 1½ total blocks. Gant had a team-high seven digs, and UCLA-bound libero Brogan Glenn contributed five digs.
'We knew that going in, that we couldn't give them any free balls, any opportunities,' CdM coach Katey Thompson said of facing the Mustangs, who are now 3-0 in head-to-head matches this season. 'Our goal was to try to make them earn them. Clearly, that didn't happen in the first set, but hopefully this is something we can learn from as we go into regionals.
'I think every time that we've played them, we've gotten a little bit better, so hopefully we're able to utilize this.'
Corona del Mar, which earned a pair of four-set victories over Beckman and San Clemente in pool play, awaits the CIF State Southern California regional playoffs. Those brackets will be released on Sunday, May 18.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Finally healthy, Kentucky recruit Nolan Ramoley legs out triple as Brother Rice downs Providence. ‘Pretty cool.'
A leg injury forced Nolan Ramoley to have surgery in October. The junior outfielder recovered quicker than expected, making it back for the start of the season for Brother Rice. But he hadn't quite felt like himself. Spending most of the early part of the spring as the team's designated hitter, the leg was still slowing him down a bit. With a trip to state on the line, however, Ramoley was ready Monday night. Legging out a triple. Beating out an infield single. Making big plays in center field. What injury? 'It was pretty cool,' Ramoley said. 'Running for that triple, I feel like I got all my speed back there. It feels good to be back from injury and be able to produce runs for my team. 'I haven't had a game until this one where I really felt 100%.' Ramoley, a Kentucky recruit, went 2-for-4, drove in a run and scored another as the Crusaders knocked off defending state champion Providence for an 8-5 win in the Class 4A Crestwood Supersectional at Ozinga Field. Eastern Michigan commit Aidan Nohava finished 3-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs and a run for Brother Rice (37-3), while Gavin Stanislawski went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Brady Cunningham allowed three earned runs over 4 2/3 innings for the win and Illinois State-bound Jackson Natanek earned the save. The Crusaders clinched the program's sixth state trophy and will play at state for the third time in four years starting at 7 p.m. Friday with a semifinal against McHenry (33-4-1). 'This is an unreal feeling,' Nohava said. 'I've been here before my sophomore year and it's the same goosebumps I got then again, but there's a different feeling because I'm a senior.' SIU-Edwardsville recruit Cooper Eggert went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead Providence (27-13). Cincinnati commit Enzo Infelise ended up 2-for-3 with a solo homer and a double, while Minnesota recruit Nate O'Donnell went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. O'Donnell also pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs. But Ramoley's RBI triple in the fifth inning broke a 3-3 tie and put the Crusaders ahead for good. It was the kind of moment Ramoley has been working toward the last several months, making all the rehab worth it. 'I'm still going to physical therapy once a week,' Ramoley said. 'Earlier in the year, I was going three times a week. It's definitely been a grind and it's taken a long time for my speed to come back, so it's just been patience.' Brother Rice coach Sean McBride felt Ramoley was holding back a bit when a blooper fell in front of him for a base hit in the second inning. He tried to fire him up. 'I said, 'Look, Nolan, you've got to play aggressive. I'm not mad at you, but you have to let that athleticism show,'' McBride said. 'I just wanted to challenge him to kind of let it loose. I feel like at times he's a little tentative. 'But, man, that was a big hit. He really let it loose there.' The Crusaders added three runs in the seventh to take an 8-3 lead. The Celtics did not go down easily, though, scoring twice in the bottom of the inning before Natanek got a double play to end it. That brought on the celebration. Brother Rice is going back to state and Ramoley is back. 'I guarantee I'm as excited as his parents are to watch him play like that again,' Nohava said of Ramoley. 'We're all a close, tight-knit family, so any time a guy like that comes back from a big injury and gets it done for us in a big game like this, I can see the whole team is super happy for him.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former UCLA AD expects Elliott to thrive at UH
The University of Hawai'i Board of Regents will meet on Monday, June 16, to vote on the approval of Matt Elliott as the next athletics director for the Rainbow Warriors. Elliott, most recently with the Hawai'i Community Foundation, spent 13 years in athletic administration at UCLA, including as chief strategy officer. He played a key role in leading the Bruins into the Big Ten Conference. According to former UCLA athletics director Dan Guerrero, Elliott is well prepared to thrive in his new role at UH. 'Well, it became very obvious the first time I met Matt that he had something special,' Guerrero said. 'Over the course of 10 years that he was with me, he proved that he was one of the finest administrators that I've had the ability to work with.' Guerrero, who was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) 2021 Hall of Fame class, noted that Elliott's path into athletics administration was unconventional. 'When I first met him, he was a very successful attorney working for Ropes & Gray out of Boston in their sports practice,' Guerrero said. 'He was working with agents, writing contracts, doing compliance and infractions issues, all those kinds of things. But he wanted to work on a campus, to be involved with student-athletes. For him to leave a prestigious law firm and a great salary to essentially walk into an entry-level compliance role at a major university took a huge leap of faith. We sort of bet on each other, and it all turned out exactly as I thought it would. He'll be special for Hawai'i.' Guerrero believes Elliott's nontraditional background is a particular strength in today's rapidly evolving college athletics landscape. 'For him to bring experiences from outside the traditional world of college athletics adds value,' Guerrero said. 'In the 10 years he was at UCLA, he was among the very best. He knows how to win. He's been around it, working with national championship coaches and student-athletes. But he also knows the other parts of the business, the parts that can make or break you. 'I put him in charge of all our risk management. It was a natural fit with his background, and the policies and protocols he implemented saved us many times. He brings that perspective while also managing budgets, working with coaches and student-athletes, and building relationships both internally and externally.' Looking ahead to Elliott's transition to Hawai'i, Guerrero acknowledged the unique challenges of running a Division I program in the islands. 'Obviously, the geographic situation creates an innate challenge for any athletics program there,' Guerrero said. 'It takes a village, no one does this in a vacuum. You have to build authentic relationships to get the support you need. That requires hard work, really busting your tail to make inroads with the right people. 'One of Matt's strengths is in governmental relations. At UCLA, he was my point person on that. He often testified to the state legislature on my behalf. He understands that politics play a big part in being successful on any campus, but especially in Hawai'i, where everyone is invested in the welfare of the university and the athletics department. Matt can navigate those waters successfully.' Elliott was selected by UH president Wendy Hensel to be the next athletics director. If approved by the Board of Regents on Monday, he will officially take over the role. Stay with KHON2 Sports, on-air and online, for continuing coverage. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Miami Herald
UCLA, Penn State deny reports of private equity funding from Elevate
UCLA and Penn State have denied a report Monday by Sportico that they have partnered with consulting firm Elevate to receive funding from its $500 million College Investment Initiative. Elevate formally announced the initiative earlier Monday and told news outlets that two schools had signed up with the project. However, UCLA and Penn State officials each denied Sportico's reporting that they have engaged with the new fund. Both schools said they're partnered with Elevate for ticketing operations but not for private equity. The College Investment Initiative is backed by Velocity Capital Management and the Texas Permanent School Fund. The idea behind the initiative is to offer capital to schools for revenue-generating projects -- like NIL platforms or athletic venue upgrades. Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey told Front Office Sports that his university is 'actively considering' private equity and hopes to have a deal set within the next six months. Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
