Alumni Report: Buckeyes Get a SoCal Bounce

Cinderella danced to the very end of the ball, but Saturday night, the clock struck midnight.

The Ohio State men's volleyball team notched its first victory over surprising UC Santa Barbara, 20-25, 25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 15-9, to win the NCAA championship at Penn State University in College Park, Penn.

In a finale befitting this unpredictable NCAA championship, the Buckeyes and Gauchos went to the wire, with 6-foot-6 sophomore Grayson Overman (San Clemente) providing 12 kills, an assist and an ace to help power the Buckeyes, whose roster includes seven players from Southern California.

Ohio State punched its ticket to the finale with a 25-18, 24-26, 25-22, 25-23 victory over Penn State, during which Overman provided a strong defensive effort. He had a .444 kill percentage headed into the championship. Freshman Scottie Chapel (Laguna Beach) and sophomore Kyle Lawrence (Costa Mesa/Newport Harbor High) was also in scarlet-and-gray on Saturday night.

Though the Gauchos are still looking for their first NCAA men's volleyball title, they enjoyed a remarkable run to the championship game. Santa Barbara entered last week’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament with an overall record of 14-14. In a conference that boasts many of the nation's top teams, including No. 1 USC and Brigham Young, the Gauchos faced a seemingly insurmountable task.

Yet down went BYU, despite 19 kills by Cougar junior Robb Stowell (Mission Viejo/Capistrano Valley). Down went Long Beach State, despite six kills from junior Ryan Meehan (Dana Point/Dana Hills High).

To cap its run to the conference title, UCSB toppled USC, 3-2, in a competitive match that included outstanding play by Trojan junior Steven Shandrick (Lake Forest/Santa Margarita High). And for an encore? The Gauchos beat USC once again, this time 3-1 in a Final Four semifinal match.

Dylan Davis (Newport Beach/Corona del Mar High) was the catalyst for the Gauchos’ second win over the Trojans. The 6-foot-9 sophomore had 15 kills and 16 points, igninting his team to a 29-27, 24-26, 25-15, 25-18 victory. He entered Saturday’s national championship game with 189 kills on the season.

Davis is one of four former Sea Kings on the Gauchos' roster.  Fellow CdM alum Scott Slaughter added seven kills Thursday to bolster his impressive total to 235 on the year. Junior Blaine Neilsen has 26 kills and three serving aces, while his brother,  freshman Weston Neilsen, has not played. Sophomore Grant Goswiller (Coto de Caza/Tesoro High) rounds out the Gauchos’ Orange County contingent.

Spring Has Sprung

The NCAA spring championship season is afoot. Last week the fields for men’s and women’s golf and tennis were announced, and alums from area schools are well-represented. In the Division II men’s golf tournament, Hawai’i Hilo earned a No. 5 seed as PacWest Conference champions. Freshman and All-Conference honoree Travis Russell (Costa Mesa/Newport Harbor High) leads the Vulcans.

The Division I men’s tennis bracket, announced Monday, features UC Irvine as a No. 2 seed in a challenging bracket. UCI opens the NCAA Tournament against Ole Miss, with the winner of UCLA-Binghamton waiting should the Anteaters advance.

On Irvine's roster is senior Shan Sondhu (Laguna Niguel/Dana Hills High) and junior Fabian Matthews (Newport Beach/Corona del Mar). Sondhu is 15-6 in singles play for the Anteaters (19-7), while Matthews has rattled off the best win percentage on the team with a record of 18-3. 

UCI’s Big West Conference mate Cal Poly San Luis Obispo earned its way into the tournament and draws Washington from the Pacific 10. Senior Blake Wardman (San Clemente)  has not accumulated statistics for the Mustangs.

Sacramento State won the Big Sky Conference to earn its playoff spot against USC. Junior Blake Emery (Rancho Santa Margarita/Tesoro High) is 3-1 in doubles competition and 0-2 in singles play for the Hornets.

When You're a Jet..

New York is almost as far as one can get from Orange County in the continental United States, but the NFL’s Jets are continuing to add more of a West Coast look to their roster. In the seventh and final round of last week’s NFL Draft, Colorado wide receiver Scotty McKnight (Coto de Caza/Tesoro) was selected to team up with quarterback Mark Sanchez (Mission Viejo), who is beginning his third season at the team's reigns.

McKnight could prove to be an immediate target for Sanchez, coming off a milestone career at Colorado. McKnight left Boulder as the Buffalos' all-time leader in passes caught (215) and receiving touchdowns (22) and third all-time in receiving yards at 2,521. He caught a pass in all 48 of his career games -- only the 10th player in NCAA history to accomplish that feat -- and he is the first Colorado player to lead his team in receving in four different seasons.

Checking Out Lacrosse

Denver women’s lacrosse junior Lauren Ciccomascolo (Ladera Ranch/St. Margaret’s) was named second-team All-MPSF for scoring 24 goals and passing off for seven assists. Late in the regular-season finale, she notched five goals in a defeat of California.

The Pioneers wrapped up their season in the conference championship tournament with a 7-4 loss to Oregon on Friday.

Playing Some Hard Ball

Junior pitcher Robert Kelly (Santa Margarita) pitched a complete-game, one-run victory for Saint Anslem over Stoney Hill last weekend.

Kelly is 6-2 on the campaign with a 3.45 ERA and 35 strikeouts.  As proficient as the right-hander has been from the mound, he’s been equally so at the plate. His .364 batting average and 12 home runs lead the team.

In the Division I ranks, Oklahoma is surging late in Big 12 Conference play. The Sooners shellacked Kansas, 12-1, Friday night. Senior outfielder Ricky Eisenberg (Seal Beach/Los Alamitos High) pinch-hit in the victory. Eisenberg is batting .375 on the season. Also on the Sooner roster is senior Tyler Brady (Newport Beach/Mater Dei), who has seen sparing action in 2011.

Professionally, outfielder Blake Davis (Fountain Valley) has had a strong spring for the Baltimore Orioles' triple-A affiliate, the Norfolk Tides. Davis is batting .300 with five RBIs and two stolen bases.

Is there a local alum we should know about? Contact Kyle Kensing at  kkensing@gmail.com.