Laguna volleyball takes care of Costa Mesa

Mike Sciacca

In one final push before it settles into the thick of the Pacific

Coast League race, the Laguna Beach High School boys’ volleyball team

defeated Costa Mesa in four games at Dugger Gymnasium.

The Breakers won the match, 25-13, 23-25, 25-23, 25-13.

“I think we came in really focused in that first game and played

steady volleyball,” Laguna coach Lance Stewart said. “But we got away

from that in the second and third games and Costa Mesa got on a

little roll and started to gain some confidence.

“We got back to playing our type of volleyball in that fourth

game, though. It was a good match. We didn’t think it would be easy,

and it wasn’t.”

Luke Morris had 19 kills and nine aces to lead Laguna, which

improved to 10-7.

A balanced attack, which saw Laguna successfully spread the ball

around the court, included 13 kills from Andrew Chapel, 12 kills by

Chris Hoffman and 11 kills by Ivan Kovacevic.

The loss was the first of the year for Costa Mesa, which is now

6-1.

The Mustangs are coach by Laguna Beach High School graduate Dave

Sorrells (class of 1964).

Laguna is now 46-1 in best-of-five game matches in its series with

the Mustangs.

Before taking on Costa Mesa on Tuesday, Laguna opened its Pacific

Coast League slate with a sweep of visiting Tesoro.

Chapel and Morris each had 12 kills for the Breakers in a 25-21,

25-14, 25-17 win over the Titans.

With nonleague play now in the books, Laguna returns to Pacific

Coast League play Tuesday by visiting University. On Thursday, the

Breakers play at Northwood.

“We’re still a work in progress,” Stewart said. “At times, we can

be really, really good, and at other times, we can be really bad.

We’re looking to curb those bad moments.”

In boys’ tennis, Laguna dropped a home, nonleague match to Aliso

Niguel, 16-2, Monday.

In baseball, Laguna Beach suffered a 9-0 shutout loss to visiting

Corona del Mar in Pacific Coast League play.

The Sea Kings’ Vinnie St. John limited the Breakers to just three

hits.

The loss dropped Laguna to 2-2 in league play.

Laguna returns to league action today by hosting Northwood in a

3:15 p.m. start.

In softball, Santa Ana came to Laguna and rocked the host Breakers

in a 24-1 nonleague victory.

The Saints produced their 24 runs on 23 hits. Included in the

barrage was a pair of home runs and two triples, aided by 10 Laguna

errors.

The Breakers managed just two singles.

Senior catcher Simone DeVilmorin broke up Santa Ana’s no-hit bid

and shutout with a fourth-inning single, which scored Alivia LeVeque.

Mary Trout had the other Laguna hit.

Junior pitcher Lauren Delgado suffered a leg injury on a hard-hit

liner early in the game.

In another nonleague game, Laguna was blanked by Brethren

Christian, 10-0, in a game that started in the rain.

The teams were scoreless heading into the third inning, where

Brethren Christian came up with three runs on three walks, a hit and

one error.

Laguna managed just four baserunners in the game, with LeVeque

reaching base twice on a walk and on a single.

Laguna plays at University at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday.