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Division Final: Laguna Beach Starts Off Strong but Falls to Corona del Mar

Breakers commit 20 hitting errors in the loss. The six-time CIF champion is off to regional competition Tuesday.

The Corona del Mar volleyball team held a block party Saturday afternoon, but Laguna Beach’s players apparently didn't get the invitation.

The Sea Kings’ commanded the net, and led by 6-foot-7 middle blocker Spencer Haly, blocked 11 shots for points and forced the Breakers’ into 20 hitting errors. After dropping the first game, the Sea Kings never lost more than three straight points again and won going away, 23-25, 25-15, 25-14, 25-16 over the Breakers in the 2011 CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship match at Cypress College.

Haly, the senior captain, accounted for five of those blocks, to go along with his match-high 20 kills in his best performance of the season. He made only one error the entire match in converting quick sets into points down the middle, and then combining with back-up junior Jack Reed, who added eight points and five blocks, to clog the middle and forced the Laguna Beach hitters to move further outside.

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The Breakers did not have an offensive block until it was 23-16 in Game 4.

Afterward Haly said it just as easily could have been one of his teammates who had the big numbers. The Sea Kings, with Brennan Anderson (11 kills, 17 digs) and Parker Brown (nine kills) on the outside, and Evan Dean (five kills) at opposite, were as versatile as they were deep in running the Division 2 playoff field.

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“I might have had more kills but everyone did a great job. It feels great to finally win it,” said Haley, who will be attending Stanford this fall. “I knew we would have to come in here and play a great game if we were going to win it.”

Coach Steve Conti called Haly’s performance his biggest game on the biggest stage.

“He’s had a really consistent year for us,” Conti said. “He stepped up and played one of biggest matches when it was needed."

Laguna Beach (20-11), the second seed, surprised the Sea Kings in Game 1 by scoring seven of the last 10 points behind opposite hitter Robbie McKnight’s five kills to win, 25-23. It was the first time the Sea Kings had dropped a game in the playoffs. McKnight finished with 22 kills.

“This team has shown character throughout the year and we could have been a lot more rattled after Game 1,” Conti said. “But I thought we came back with poise and composure and had confidence in ourselves.”

Corona del Mar responded by winning 11 of the first 15 points in Game 2, and then hitting errors allowed the Breakers to fight back to within 11-9. But a 10-2 run led by Haly’s four kills and a block allowed the Sea Kings to win easily and tie the match.

The third game was more of the same. Corona del Mar had nine kills and four blocks for points, while Laguna Beach committed seven unforced errors, to take a 2-1 lead. Though the momentum clearly appeared to be on the Sea Kings’ side, Conti said he was never comfortable during the match.

“I’ve been a part of nine teams that have come to these championship matches,” he said. “I don’t why this one stresses me out more than the others.”

The Sea Kings provided a stress-reducing Game 4 by moving out to a 10-5 lead and never relinquishing that advantage behind Haly, Anderson and Co., as Corona del Mar won going away. Behind setters Nick Curci (28 assists) and Joe Ctvrtlik (25 assists), a kill by Haly and a hitting error by the Breakers ended the match with the Sea Kings getting their third victory over Laguna Beach this season.

But none was ever bigger than this one.

“They’re all special,” said Conti, referring to his five CIF titles at Corona del Mar, the first coming 23 years ago. “It’s about the journey and what you do during the season, whether we were winning or not. During the season we struggled some, but then we got it going against Newport and that win really got us ready for CIF. We were confident coming in and we beat the best teams time and again.”

McKnight led the Breakers with 22 kills and Austin Hilleman added 11.

Both teams advance to the Southern California Regionals, which begin Tuesday. Pairings will be announced Sunday. Corona del Mar will compete in Division 2, while Laguna Beach will be in Division 3.

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