Boys volleyball: Mater Dei upsets Newport Harbor

Richard Dunn

COSTA MESA - In a semifinal match for the ages, Mater Dei High

rallied to defeat top-seeded Newport Harbor in five games Wednesday night

in the CIF Southern Section Division III boys volleyball playoffs at

Costa Mesa High.

The fourth-seeded Monarchs (25-7) -- after the designated visiting

Sailors won the first two games, 15-8, 15-9 -- came back to win three

straight, 16-14, 15-7, 15-12, to advance to Saturday’s finals at Cypress

College.

“That’s an awesome team,” Mater Dei Coach Tom Costanzo said of the

Sailors (13-8), then called his own squad “lucky.”

The Monarchs, who split two best-of-three tournament matches this

season with Newport Harbor, had their backs against a wall in the third

game, with the Tars leading, 14-13, and serving for the match.

But, after the Monarchs unraveled, blowing an 11-4 lead in the process, the Tars committed an unforced error of their own to keep the

door open for Mater Dei, which won the game’s last three points to force

a fourth game.

“That’s the way it’s been all year for us, finding a way to get it

done,” Costanzo said.

Following a 0-2 deficit, Costanzo told his players “just to have fun

... there’s no shame in losing to them. They’re the No. 1 seed and we’re the No. 4 seed, and if we lose, who cares? But if we win, you’ll be doing

something really great.”

In a match featuring edge-of-your-seat rallies throughout, it was a

bitter setback in the end for Newport Harbor.

“This is a real tough, tough loss,” said Newport Coach Dan Glenn, who

thought Mater Dei’s experience with six seniors proved to be the

difference.

Newport Harbor led early in the fourth and fifth games, 4-1 and 5-1,

respectively, but couldn’t maintain the lead in either one.

“We definitely had our chances,” Glenn said. “In the first two games

we played pretty well, then in the third and fourth games we made way too

many unforced errors. I don’t know if we were ready for a full match

tonight. (The Monarchs) played great defense and they have one of the

best setters around (in Mike Gazzano).”

In the decisive game, Mater Dei led, 12-9, but the Sailors rallied to

tie it on three straight points -- a kill by junior Morgan Craig, a

mishandled ball by Mater Dei and a kill by 6-foot-3 senior outside hitter

Blake Tippett, who led the Tars with 33 kills.

Paul Munoz, who recorded half of his 18 kills in the fifth game, gave

Mater Dei a sideout on a kill after Harbor tied it. Then, Munoz gave

Mater Dei the lead, 13-12, on a solo block and Jonathan Daze (32 kills)

added a kill for a two-point advantage as the near-capacity crowd started

to rock the gym.

After an exchange of sideouts, Munoz put the Sailors away with a

match-ending kill.

“I knew there was no way this match was going to be a blowout,” said

Costanzo, whose team will face Santa Margarita in the finals. “I knew it

was going to be a blood bath. I couldn’t sleep last night, just thinking

about how we’re going to stop this guy and that guy.”

Tippett, senior middle blocker Christian Berg-Hansen and juniors Greg

Perrine and Erik Peterson kept Newport Harbor in every game, while setter

Loyd Wright was steady throughout.

Joe Groff, a 6-6 middle blocker, was also solid for Mater Dei with 17

kills, while Gazzano produced 75 assists.