Boys volleyball: Sea Kings efficient after wake-up call

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Sometimes losing can be a good thing.

The Estancia High boys volleyball witnessed the evidence when Corona

del Mar, coming off its first Pacific Coast League loss Wednesday,

stormed into the Eagles gym and nearly recorded a shutout Thursday.

The Sea Kings (8-3, 7-1 in league) responded to their loss to

Northwood with a 15-0, 15-0, 15-3 victory, dealing the Eagles (1-11, 1-7)

their worst loss of the season.

“Sometimes a loss like that is a little bit of an eye-opener,” CdM

Coach Steve Conti said. “These guys’ eyes are wide open now. It makes

them realize that they have to come back, work harder and come into

matches a little bit more focused.”

Corona displayed that focus immediately as the Sea Kings allowed

Estancia just seven serves in Game 1. CdM senior Garrett Macklin struck

for three aces to begin the rout.

After the Sea Kings earned a sideout by an Eagles error, Sea King

junior John Grod served for nine straight points, including five aces.

Macklin later scored two more with a block and a kill, while senior Brian

Gallagher scored a kill for game-point and the Eagles committed another

error, ending the game.

“To be honest, this was very disappointing,” Estancia Coach Tracey

Heims said. “We have been working on a new passing routine with a new

setter. We changed a lot of things, but we resorted to our old ways. We

weren’t able to work the middle as much as we wanted to.”

The Eagles scored their first point of the match in Game 3 when senior

John Lindsay’s serve found a open spot for an ace and Estancia trailed,

2-1.

CdM sophomore Bart Welch served for 11 straight points, which included

five Eagle errors and featured an emphatic block by Sea King junior Ryan

Inman, leading to a 13-1 lead.

Estancia senior Nick Rycroft help prevent the shutout when he set up

Mike Phan who slammed for a kill, earning a sideout. Eagles senior Jeff

Niles then fired two service aces, but CdM would not allow any other.

Heims said she was impressed with freshman Josh Kornegay who took

advantage of his minimal playing time and recorded a block and a kill.

“Unfortunately, some people didn’t step up to play,” Heims said of her

Eagles. “But, because they didn’t, other people got the opportunity to

play.”

Junior Spencer Miller finished with a match-high 15 assists for the

Sea Kings, while Welch led with seven kills and sophomore Miles Yourman

had six.

CdM lost at Northwood, 12-15, 18-16, 15-11, 9-15, 15-4, but Conti said

the Sea Kings showed character when they performed with efficiency over

Estancia.

“This team has shown character throughout the season,” Conti said. “I

think we just took a little stutter. We were a lot more efficient than we

were the last time we played (Estancia). To me that shows the (Northwood)

loss was a bit of an eye-opener and we’re getting back on track.”

The Sea Kings play today at the Santa Barbara Tournament at Santa

Barbara High. CdM faces Clovis West (Fresno) at 3 p.m. and plays another

match later in the evening.

Estancia hosts Northwood Tuesday at 4 p.m., in PCL action.