Boys volleyball: Return engagement

Barry Faulkner

CYPRESS - Like the swallows to San Juan Capistrano, the boys

volleyball teams from Corona del Mar and Santa Ynez high schools have

once again navigated to Cypress College, where their quest for CIF

Southern Section championships has become almost instinctive.

No. 4-seeded CdM (15-6) is making its fifth straight title-match

appearance today at 1:30 p.m. in the smaller of the school’s two gyms.

No. 2-seeded Santa Ynez (19-4) has extended its championship-match

migration to eight seasons.

They’ll collide for the third time since 1997 in the Division IV title

clash.

Coach Steve Conti’s Sea Kings are the defending Division I champions

and have split their last four title matches, including a five-game win

over Santa Ynez for the Division III crown in 1998.

Coach Chip Fenenga’s Pirates have won the last two Division III

titles, and have five section crowns since 1995, including a five-game

Division III triumph over CdM in 1997.

“CdM is always talented,” said Fenenga, who grew up in San Clemente

and said he learned from Orange County coaches such as Dan Glenn (Newport

Harbor) before inaugurating the Pirates’ program in 1993. “They’re always

one of the best teams around and they have such a history of success.”

CdM added section championships in 1985 and ’89 to the aforementioned

spoils, and lost in the Division I final in 1999 in its other finals

appearance.

Santa Ynez alumni include former Stanford All-American and current

national team member Andy Witt; Mike Wall, named NCAA Tournament MVP

after leading BYU to this season’s Division I title; and 1998 CIF

Division III Player of the Year Larry Witt, now playing professionally on

the beach. The Pirates are seeking to tie Loyola for the most titles

(six), since the Southern Section began naming champions in 1974.

“I think there’s a certain swagger about Santa Ynez that fires this

team up,” Conti said. “At least it has in the past.”

CdM players also acknowledge the growing rivalry, which could become

an annual affair since section rules now prohibit smaller schools from

moving up to higher divisions for the playoffs, as CdM did the last two

springs.

“Our team knows the rivalry,” said CdM senior Charlie Alshuler, who,

like senior setter Evan Burden, watched the 1998 final against the

Pirates from the bench after being called up for the playoffs. “Now, we

get ‘em again our senior year.”

Burden said the Sea King upper classmen should be familiar with the

Pirates’ pedigree.

“I think it’s going to be another five-game match, just like it was in

1997 and ‘98,” said Burden, whose older brother Greg, now playing at USC,

was a starter in both those matches. “I think playing Santa Ynez gives

our guys that extra little push.”

Alshuler’s older brother, Dennis, now playing at Princeton, also

battled against Santa Ynez, a connection not lost on Fenenga.

“I see they have a couple guys with the same last names, so I assumed

they were little brothers,” Fenenga said.

The Sea Kings, co-champions of the Pacific Coast League, have swept

playoff foes, Gabrielino, Bishop Montgomery and top-seeded Village

Christian, yielding 83 combined points.

Santa Ynez, champion of the Los Padres League, swept Bishop Amat and

Laguna Beach, before topping Northwood in four games in Wednesday’s

semifinal. The Pirates have surrendered just 79 points in the playoffs.

Burden will distribute kill opportunities to senior outside hitters

Brian Gallagher and Alshuler, as well as 6-foot-7 senior middle blocker

Forrest Mack. The Sea Kings have also consistently relied upon senior

Garrett Macklin, junior John Grod and sophomore Bart Welch.

Santa Ynez features 6-8 junior Matt McKinney, whom Conti said has

played both outside hitter and middle blocker, as well as talented 6-7

junior setter J.T. Gilmour.

McKinney, league MVP this year in basketball and volleyball, amassed

27 kills and 11 blocks against Northwood.

Gilmour, who will join his brother and former Pirate star Marcus at

USC next season, had 11 kills in the semifinal win.

Jeff Urton, a junior outside hitter, and sophomores Matt Pedersen,

Aaron Richman and Tommy Witt, the younger brother of Andy and Larry, are

also consistent contributors.

Urton had 11 kills and Pedersen added 10 kills and eight blocks

against Northwood.

Three of the Pirates’ losses came in the Santa Barbara Tournament of

Champions, when they were without McKinney and Urton, whom Conti called

their top ball-control player.

Fenenga, who said this year’s team is better defensively than some of

its predecessors, noted Matt Mosebar, a 6-9, 260-pound middle blocker who

contributed to the last two CIF championships, has been missed, since he

elected to concentrate on preparing for a collegiate football career at

UCLA.

“We could have used (Mosebar) against (Mack),” Fenenga said.

Defense and determination, however, are CdM trademarks and Conti and

his players believe the Sea Kings are peaking at just the right time.

“We are playing our best volleyball,” Conti said. “There are still a

few little things we could do better, like missing too many serves. But

we’re not making as many unforced errors as we were early in the season.”

Said Alshuler, “We’ve come together real well in the playoffs. I think

our teamwork will beat their talent.”

Burden, who took over setting chores from last year’s Division I

Player of the Year Kevin Hansen, now at Stanford, said CdM is on a

mission.

“I know we’re there, physically,” Burden said. “We just need to pass

well and be mentally prepared to lay it all on the line, point by point.”

Directions to Cypress College

North on 405 to Valley View St. Right on Valley View to school on

right at 9200 Valley View St.