Girls volleyball: Smith leads Sea Kings to broom effect

Steve Virgen

HUNTINGTON BEACH - For Corona del Mar High senior Morgan Smith,

Tuesday night’s victory at Marina wasn’t just any other nonleague win.

The 15-13, 16-14, 15-13 triumph was, as she said, a coming together of

the Sea Kings as they displayed an obvious meshing in about 90 minutes.

“We have really come together as a team,” said Smith, who led the Sea

Kings with 20 kills and three service aces. “We’re playing Newport Harbor

Thursday night (at CdM at 5:45 p.m.) and this is a great way to start

things off. This is going to give us some momentum.”

CdM (3-0) overcame deficits of 12-6, and 14-11, in Game 2 to gain some

serious momentum. In a game that featured eventful rallies, the Sea Kings

came together in a hurry, down 12-6. CdM senior Eleanor Mack, who slammed

eight kills, served for three straight points as freshman Jordan Smith

came up with a big block and the Sea Kings took advantage of Viking

errors.

Senior Katie Duggan later served an ace to cut Marina’s lead to 12-10.

A Jacqueline Becker-to-Morgan Smith combination pushed it 12-11, but the

Vikings (0-1) earned two points and reached game point. Becker, the

senior setter and team captain, amassed a match-high 42 assists, while

junior Claire Allen contributed 10 kills.

After the teams battled for nine total sideouts, which included one

point for CdM, Becker assisted Morgan Smith for a kill for sideout.

Morgan Smith then took over. She served for an ace, then finished off

another Becker assist, which prompted Marina to call a timeout. Another

ace and Morgan Smith gave the Sea Kings a 15-14 lead, then another

eventful rally came.

Marina standout Rebecca Green, who rang up a match-high 21 kills,

appeared to have another kill in her sights, but Morgan Smith answered

with a dig and Becker kept the rally alive by tapping the ball over to

the Vikings. After Marina’s return, Becker assisted Mack to end the game.

“(Morgan Smith) put on a display that I’ve only seen from the top

players,” CdM Coach Bill Christiansen said. “If she plays like that

consistently, she’s not only an All-CIF player, but an All-State player.”

Perhaps fittingly, Morgan Smith ended the match when she killed for a

sideout with the game tied at 13 in Game 3. The Sea Kings received a

point from a Marina error and the CdM outside hitter answered the call

once again.

First, she dug Green’s spike, and then from a Becker assist she put a

wicked touch on a tap that scaled over the net and landed on the Vikings’

side of the net, eluding outstretched arms.