Kopp lays law down

Chris Yemma

Despite 16 straight Golden West League victories and 26 out of 27

league wins dating back to 2003, the Estancia High boys volleyball

team was a little apprehensive about the league schedule this season.

Until Dallas Kopp emerged Wednesday.

Costa Mesa was supposed to be the biggest challenger to another

undefeated league season for the Eagles, but Estancia sent a message

to its crosstown rival with a 26-28, 25-19, 25-23, 25-10 victory on

the Mustangs’ court.

Kopp didn’t have the most kills, but his 6-foot-5 presence in the

middle helped him account for four pivotal blocks and the 22nd, 24th

and final point of the match on two tips and a kill. He finished with

eight kills and four digs.

“Dallas was on tonight,” Estancia Coach Tracey Ingraham said.

“When we needed him most, he was solid.”

Kopp’s performance helped the Eagles (10-6, 4-0 in league), ranked

No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division III, keep hope of a second

straight league title by bouncing back from a first-game loss. Kopp

said he was motivated by a local media source.

“We’ve been waiting for this all day because there’s been all

these newspaper articles about how [Costa Mesa’s] doing better than

us,” he said. “All that fueled the fire and we took it out on the

court.”

Kopp was aided with 18 kills from junior Scott Markley, 12 kills

from his brother, Shaun Markley, and 23 assists from senior setter

Trevor Holmes, as the defending Division III champion Eagles took

over sole possession of first in league and handed Costa Mesa (6-2,

3-1) its first league loss.

“Any win is important, but this one was extremely important,”

Ingraham said. “Especially knowing they were going to be the toughest

competition in league. We definitely wanted to clinch this one.

“We felt prepared, we did our homework and I knew that once my

team got on the court, they’d play hard.”

Estancia came out a little sluggish in the first game and gave it

up after sitting on a 24-22 game-point advantage.

But Game 1 would be Costa Mesa’s only glory, as it won, 28-26.

Mustangs’ Ryan Bagwell finished with a match-high 21 kills, along

with four service aces. Junior Andrew Melcer had 34 assists and

junior Scott Knox had five aces.

Games 2 and 3 were close, but the Eagles ran away with the fourth

game and won, 25-10.

“We wouldn’t have even had to play that great to beat them

tonight,” Mustangs’ Coach Dave Sorrells said. “But when you let a

good team like that off the hook and let them hang around, sooner or

later they’re going to come back and get you.”

Costa Mesa and Estancia meet again May 5. Ingraham said she is

confident in a second meeting and a successful rest of the season,

despite losing a Division III Player of the Year, a league MVP and

five seniors to graduation from last year’s squad.

“The next time we play Mesa is at home,” she said. “So we have

that much time to get better and you can’t ask for anything better

than that.

“Our goal is a CIF championship. My goal from the beginning was to

hang another couple of banners on the ceiling -- league and CIF.”