Laguna Breakers earn a bye

Mike Sciacca

A strong standing throughout the year and a strong finish to the

regular season has earned the Laguna Beach High boys’ volleyball team

a first-round bye in the CIF-Southern Section Boys’ Volleyball

Championships Division II tournament.

The tournament begins tonight with first-round action.

The Division II final will be played Saturday, May 28, at Cypress

College.

Laguna will host the winner of tonight’s first-round matchup

between Los Padres League champion Santa Ynez and Golden West League

No. 3 Lancaster, Tuesday in a 7 p.m. second-round game at Dugger

Gymnasium.

In last year’s quarterfinal round, Laguna went to Santa Ynez and

rallied from two games down to beat the Pirates.

The Breakers eventually fell in the semifinal round to Santa

Barbara, which enters this year’s tournament as the division’s top

seed.

Laguna finished second to Corona del Mar in the Pacific Coast

League race.

“I think we’re playing really well right now,” Laguna coach Lance

Stewart said. “We’re playing steady, smart volleyball and showing

confidence and some passion. That’s how you want to be playing at

this point in the season.”

Laguna is the only second-place team in the division to receive a

first-round bye. The Breakers, ranked fourth in the Division II poll,

join league champions Santa Barbara (Channel No. 1), Corona del Mar

(Pacific Coast League No. 1), Valencia of Valencia (Foothill No. 1)

and Arcadia (Pacific No. 1), as teams receiving a first-round bye.

Laguna has been ranked no lower than fourth in the CIF Division II

poll throughout the season.

The Breakers took a break from the end of the regular season and

the start of the Southern Section playoffs to take on its famed

alumni, and for the first time in the history of the annual boys’

varsity-alumni match, Laguna’s current varsity team defeated the

alumni.

The Breakers scored a 25-22, 25-17, 21-25, 25-20 victory before a

packed house at Dugger Gymnasium Friday.

Stewart, a Laguna Beach graduate, played in the first and third

games for the alumni team, which consisted of several all-CIF and

NCAA performers.

“It was a great night and a whole lot of fun for everybody,”

Stewart said. “We had a blast. It was the first time a varsity team

had defeated the alumni, but it won’t happen again!”