PREP VOLLEYBALL / SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS : Loyola Shows Huntington Beach Why It’s Top-Ranked

Huntington Beach finally got to see what it had only heard about.

When it was over, Los Angeles Loyola had showed why it is the top-seeded team in Division I boys’ volleyball, defeating the Oilers, 15-1, 17-15, 15-2 in the quarterfinals Friday at Loyola.

“This year that’s the best team we’ve seen,” Huntington Beach Coach Rocky Ciarelli said. “They were just awesome. Everything we did, they did better.”

Loyola came within an eyelash of meeting the Oilers in the final last season, but lost a grueling 3 1/2-hour match to Laguna Beach, which then fell to Huntington Beach in the title match.

The Cubs (18-1) needed only 1 1/2 hours to dispose of the defending champions and return to the semifinals, where they will face Santa Barbara Wednesday.

Huntington Beach (17-3) received a quick dose of the Cubs’ abilities in the first game when the Oilers fell behind, 7-0. Matt Belikoff and Greg Markham provided a block to get Huntington Beach on the board, but Loyola finished the game with eight consecutive points.

The Oilers put together its first run of the match midway through Game 2 as Zack Montgomery served five points in a row to give his team a 7-4 lead.

However, Loyola answered with a run of its own and Lee Bennett and Brad Walsh blocked to give Loyola a 14-7 lead. But Huntington Beach dug in its heels and moved back ahead, 15-14, on Jody Cook-Fisher’s kill.

After trading several sideouts, Cook-Fisher lined his spike wide and setter Greg Markham was called for bumping the net.

Walsh and Bryan Dunne then came up with two tough digs and Patrick Klein slammed his spike off the floor for the game-winning point.

“I think we lost all of our momentum after that,” Huntington Beach senior Jeremy Bart said. “They came back from game point, got the momentum back and won the game.”

In Division II matches:

Tustin 3, Cypress 0--Curtis Jackson had 21 kills, Aaron Kraus had 10 kills and three aces and Greg Logan had 53 assists to lead Tustin (16-1), 15-9, 15-4, 17-15. Top-seeded Tustin will play Lakewood, which defeated Orange, 15-10, 15-17, 15-11, 12-15, 15-9.

Calvary Chapel 3, Long Beach Poly 2--Aaron Fountain had 27 kills and Jason Mandall added 26 for third-seeded Calvary Chapel which won, 13-15, 15-11, 11-15, 15-9, 15-11. Calvary Chapel (14-3) will play the Downey Warren-Palmdale Highland winner.