Mustangs sweep

Rick Devereux

“The monkey is finally off our backs,” said Costa Mesa High boys

volleyball coach Dave Sorrells after the Mustangs knocked off Ocean

View, 26-24, 25-19, 25-19, Friday in a Golden West League match.

Costa Mesa had never beaten the Seahawks during the five years

Sorrells has been coach.

“I’m so proud of the energy we played with,” Sorrells said. “We

won because of our emotion. But, at times, our emotions made have

unforced errors.”

The fact the Mustangs had any energy is close to remarkable

considering Mesa played 16 matches in four days during the Orange

County championships and an other tournament in Las Vegas.

“We were extremely exhausted earlier in the week,” said junior

outside hitter Ryan Bagwell. “But it showed us how hard we have to

work in order to stay competitive in league.”

The Mustangs are more than staying competitive. They are

dominating. Costa Mesa improved to 6-0 in non-tournament matches and

3-0 in league. The Mustangs have yet to lose a league game, sweeping

Westminster and Saddleback earlier this season.

“We’re powerful up the middle,” Bagwell said, explaining Costa

Mesa’s success this year. “But we also have enough talent to set the

outsides.”

The middle is where a lot of the action occurred against Ocean

View.

Senior Garrett Walthers finished with eight kills and junior Mitch

Caldwell had five blocks.

“Our middle [blockers] really stepped it up,” Sorrells said.

“Caldwell dominated at the end of games. That is a testament of

knowing what it takes to win with monster emotions.”

Caldwell ended the first game with a stuff block and had a hand in

the four final points in the second game via a joust and three

blocks. His block in the third game gave the Mustangs a 22-17 lead

and helped seal the door on a three-game sweep.

“Caldwell is out of this world the more fired up he gets,”

Sorrells said. “He is really becoming a big time player.”

The Mustangs almost let the first game slip out of their fingers,

surrendering a 20-16 lead into a 24-23 deficit. But a kill by Bagwell

switched the momentum over to the green and white. Will Lefebvre

smacked a kill to give Mesa game point and Caldwell stuffed a kill

attempt for the victory.

“I was on [junior varsity] last year, so I didn’t know their

hitters were like,” Caldwell said. “Their hitters like their sets

quick. It was easy [to block] once I adjusted to their speed.”

Costa Mesa was forced to regain the lead in the second game after

the Seahawks battled back from an 11-7 hole to take a 12-11

advantage.

An exchange of service errors made the score 13-12 in favor of

Ocean View, but the combination of a Seahawk net violation, Ryan

French kill and Tony Krikorkian service ace gave Costa Mesa a 15-13

lead.

After Ocean View tied the game at 19-19 on Kody DuBarry’s kill,

the Mustangs rattled off six straight points for the win.

“We didn’t let Ocean View take off on us,” Sorrells said. “They

would string three or four points in a row on our errors, but we

always stayed with them and didn’t get down. We’re growing up.”

Bagwell finished with a team-high 10 kills and junior Andrew

Melcer dished out 26 assists.

Costa Mesa plays at Laguna Beach Tuesday in a nonleague match at

4:30 p.m. before playing host to crosstown rival Estancia Wednesday

at 4:30 p.m.