Boys volleyball: CdM sweeps

Steve Virgen

CORONA DEL MAR - In the world of sports, it’s called, “peaking at

the right time,” and it’s usually said during playoff action. That term

would most certainly describe the Corona del Mar High boys volleyball

team, which came together for a total team effort and swept visiting

Harvard-Westlake to advance to the CIF Southern Section Division IV

semifinals Friday night.

Led by three seniors, Spencer Miller, Ryan Inman and John Grod, who

accurately fulfilled their roles, the Sea Kings defeated the Wolverines,

15-2, 15-10, 15-12.

CdM (14-7) will face Pacific Coast League champion and No. 2-seeded

Northwood Wednesday night at an alternate site.

“We did everything right,” said CdM Coach Steve Conti, whose team will

by eyeing its sixth straight appearance in the CIF title match with a

victory on Wednesday. “We were just so quick. It was just so great to

see. We’re coming together at the right time. It was great to see the

seniors come together. You can tell they came (Friday night) to lead.”

Miller amassed 41 assists, while Inman collected a match-high 17 kills

and four stuff blocks. Grod, who contributed eight kills and two stuff

blocks, led the Sea Kings with emotion that notably provided his

teammates with momentum.

“The past week against Ocean View I had a bad attitude,” said Grod, a

team captain. “I made a promise to Coach that I would always come out

with a great attitude. I wanted to come through with emotion, especially

in that last game. I just kept at it and we got fired up. We came

together and came back and won.”

Conti said the three seniors played their best match of the season, in

regard to playing as a team, and he said it was one of the best matches

played by the Sea Kings, mainly because of the three seniors.

“I don’t focus on getting the most kills,” Grod said. “I want to be

there for passing and I want to be a leader. That’s my most important

role.”

In Game 3, the Sea Kings battled back from deficits of 8-1, and, 12-8,

before answering with the 15-12 victory. CdM 6-foot-6 middle blocker Eric

Jones (14 kills) provided a game-high eight kills, while Inman chipped in

five kills and two stuff blocks.

Conti called his first timeout of the match, when the Wolverines

(14-5) went up 6-1. But, later, CdM drew momentum when junior Miles

Yourman served for three straight points to put the Sea Kings closer,

9-7. CdM freshman Kevin Welch, who had eight kills, slammed a kill off a

Miller set for the Sea Kings’ seventh point.

Down, 12-8, CdM continued its comeback when freshman Tom Welch,

Kevin’s twin brother, served for eight straight points. Inman had a block

and a kill, while Grod had a kill and the Wolverines committed five

errors during the run.

“We had a true team effort,” Conti said. “We really played a complete

game. We blocked balls and we served tough. We just played great

volleyball. It’s so exciting for me to watch this team fight through the

adversity we had. Earlier in the year we weren’t a team that could come

back (as in Game 3).”

Yourman came up with four stuff blocks and Jones had five kills to

lead the Sea Kings to the easy 15-2 first-game victory.

Perhaps the best game of the night came in Game 2, when CdM pulled

away from a 9-9 tie to win, 15-10. That game featured the most rallies,

of which the Sea Kings won the majority.

The Wolverines, the runners-up in the Mission League, were led by

senior Max Shapiro (16 kills) and setter Danny Miller (48 assists).

Northwood, which went undefeated in league, swept Corona in PCL play,

but the Sea Kings believe they are a different team.

“We’re a completely different team,” Grod said.