Laguna falls to Sailors

Mike Sciacca

The Laguna Beach High boys’ volleyball team flirted with controlling

Newport Harbor Tuesday night in an intense match between two old

rivals, but the Breakers couldn’t put the Sailors away.

Instead, Newport Harbor came away from Dugger Gymnasium with an

18-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-14 victory.

Laguna entered the match ranked third in Division II.

Newport carried a No. 6 ranking in Division I.

“We lost a tough one,” Laguna coach Lance Stewart said. “We won

the first game and had the second game in hand, but let it slip away.

Newport pulled out a tough third game, then wrapped up the match.”

Brett Perrine had a team-high 17 kills for the Sailors.

His big game also included six blocks and two service aces.

Laguna received strong performances from Luke Morris and Ivan

Kovacevic.

Morris posted a match-best 26 kills and 23 digs.

Kovacevic, meanwhile, finished with 13 kills.

The loss left Laguna with a 6-3 record.

Newport improved to 3-4.

Both teams will begin play today at the OC Championships

tournament.

In boys’ tennis, Laguna fell to host Mission Viejo Tuesday, 15-3.

Scoring points for Laguna was Donny Sand and No. 1 singles, Sammy Gidanian at No. 3 singles, and the No. 2 doubles team of Bobby

Chapman and Nico McManus.

Previously, Laguna had dropped home nonleague matches to

Capistrano Valley and Newport Harbor, both by 14-4 scores.

Laguna also lost to Whitney, 15-3.

The Breakers, with just two senior players on the roster, are now

1-5.

“Everything’s been a struggle this year,” Laguna coach Greg Weiss

said. “We have a great group of kids and they are playing hard, but

when you have players who don’t play year round, and you go up

against teams whose players do play year round tennis, it’s going to

be tough.

“These kids are learning, though.”

Laguna takes the court today at Sage Hill for a 3 p.m. nonleague

match.

The Breakers are back home on Tuesday, when they host rival Corona

del Mar in a Pacific Coast League opener for both schools. Match time

is 3:15 p.m.

Laguna also will host league foe Tesoro on Thursday, also at 3:15

p.m.