Sea Kings win in four

Richard Dunn

It isn’t how you start, or even how you play in the middle of the

season, but how you finish.

There might be a cliche tucked in there, but Corona del Mar High

boys volleyball coach Steve Conti is willing to go the distance with

it, even if it means his team doesn’t get a jump-start out of the

gate.

“Hopefully, we’ll peak late in the season,” said Conti, following

his team’s 15-3, 15-1, 6-15, 15-1 Pacific Coast League home victory

over league newcomer Tesoro.

Despite not getting off to a great start, the Sea Kings (7-8, 2-0

in league) are planning to build momentum with a hopeful PCL title

and then a run at the CIF Southern Section Division IV championship.

CdM won CIF titles in 1997 and 2000 and enjoyed a span of five

straight trips to the CIF Finals, before losing in the Division IV

semifinals last year to Northwood.

“In the years we’ve been successful, we haven’t always gotten off

to a good start, maybe because we had basketball players coming out

late or injuries. But we’re hoping to play our best volleyball at the

end of the season,” Conti said.

With lineup changes, Conti tested his team’s depth against Tesoro

(0-8, 0-2), but came up bare in the third game as the Titans averted

a sweep with a convincing win.

“We did some good things in the match,” Conti said. “The changed

lineup in the second game did OK and we changed (the lineup) even

more in the third game, but the score is not indicative of how that

group can be. We struggled with ball control in the third game, as we

did as a team at times against Laguna Beach [in the Sea Kings’

PCL-opening win] ... we want to be able to play focused for a long

period of time. You have fewer peaks and valleys with focus.”

Behind setter Greg Gabriel, who had 28 assists and two service

aces, and 6-foot-7 senior middle blocker Eric Jones, the Sea Kings

rolled in the opening two games. Neither were on the floor in the

third game. In fact, the Titans did to the Sea Kings in the third

game in reverse of what happened to them in the first two.

But Gabriel and Jones returned to the floor in the fourth game,

along with Tom Welch, Miles Yourman, Kevin Welch and Bart Welch, a

senior outside hitter who finished with nine kills. Jones led CdM

with 11 kills and three solo blocks.

“They’re a new school with no seniors, and I always think having

seniors is a big plus to a team,” Conti said of the Titans under

Coach John Gipe. “John’s going to get that program in the right

direction. They’ve got one real good player [Tim Steadman] and three

freshmen on the varsity. Tesoro might even become bigger than

Capistrano Valley. [Its] like Northwood. Kids want to go to a new

school ... [the Titans] will definitely be a force down the road.”

In the fourth game, CdM didn’t allow another point after taking a

2-1 edge. With sophomore Tom Welch at serve, the Sea Kings scored the

match’s final 10 points unanswered. In that stretch, Tom Welch and

Jones had kills to start the rally, then three straight unforced

errors -- a net violation, mishandled ball and return into the string

-- gave CdM a 9-1 lead as Tesoro called timeout.

Bart Welch rifled in a cross-court kill to keep the streak going,

then an unforced error, two net violations and a smashing solo block

by Jones set up match point, in which on a long return by Steadman

ended matters.

Elsewhere in high school boys volleyball Friday:

Tars rally past Irvine

* Newport Harbor bounced back from a first-game defeat to

capture a 15-17, 15-4, 15-7, 15-11 Sea View League victory at Irvine

High.

Michael Toole paced the winners with 17 kills, though Paul Toman

(15), Nick Glassic (12) and Morgan Govaars (12) also provided setter

Adam Schlesinger (58 assists) some potent hitting options for the

Sailors.

Newport Harbor improved to 9-8, 2-0 in league and also impressed

Coach Dan Glenn.

“We played well and we beat a good team, which is something we

needed to do,” said Glenn, who also praised the back-row play of

senior Michael McDonald.

Schlesinger chipped in five kills, while Glassic Govaars and Nick

Kelly each had two ace serves.

The Sailors host Laguna Hills Tuesday, before visiting Woodbridge

Thursday in what is expected to be a first-place showdown.

Saints sweep Mesa

* Costa Mesa High sophomore middle blocker Garrett Walthers had

six kills and three stuff blocks, but visiting Santa Ana had enough

to earn a 15-9, 15-6, 15-5 Golden West League triumph.

Senior outside hitter Danny Krikorian added six kills for the

Mustangs (1-10, 0-5 in league), while Coach Dave Sorrells also

praised the back-row play of Tony Krikorian and Darrell Wase.