CdM stars lead South

Rick Devereux

It was a perfect ending to a perfect season for Corona del Mar High

volleyball players Tom Welch, Kevin Welch and Ted Slaughter.

The Sea Kings won their third straight Pacific Coast League title,

won the CIF Southern Section Division II championship and the three

seniors helped the South All-Stars win the 28th annual Dave Mohs

Memorial Orange County All-Star match Friday at Newport Harbor gym

under the guidance of CdM Coach Steve Conti.

“I was more like a glorified cheerleader,” Conti said after the

South beat the North, 25-20, 23-25, 15-11.

Joining the CdM foursome were Newport Harbor outside hitter Brett

Perrine and Estancia setter Trevor Holmes.

Holmes, who helped Estancia advance to the Division III semifinals

this year and win the championship last season, started the first and

third games for the South and finished with 11 assists.

Perrine, who will play for UCLA next year, had six kills while Tom

Welch had two kills and several digs and Kevin had five kills and two

blocks.

The match was a time for the seniors to reflect on the end of

their high school careers.

“A few of us were talking before the match, and we all think this

came so sudden,” Kevin Welch said. “I can still remember playing as a

freshman. The time has gone by so fast.”

The players weren’t the only ones reminiscing.

“[The Welch brothers and I] have been through a lot over the

years,” Conti said. “It feels like I’ve known them since they were in

diapers.”

The ultimate goal of the match was to win, not to ponder the good

ol’ days, which is why Conti told his players to give it their all in

the third game.

“This is everyone’s last high school game,” he said. “No matter

what happened before, you’re always going to remember your last high

school game.”

Luke Morris from Laguna Beach was named the MVP after he finished

with five service aces and three kills.

* In the girls match, the North defeated the South, 10-25, 25-18,

15-12.

The South was represented by Newport Harbor outside hitter Kiley

Hall, as well as setter Traci Lawson, outside hitter Jordan Smith and

middle blocker Lindsey Ensign, all from Corona del Mar. CdM Coach

Bill Christiansen was on he bench for the South.

Ensign, who will attend Princeton next year, was a big weapon for

the South, leading the team with six kills, four blocks and two

service aces.

“I’ve played against a lot of these girls during the year and in

club, so it was fun to come together and play on the same team,” she

said.

Christensen allowed Smith, Ensign and Lawson to be together in the

front row for one rotation in the first game, the last time the girls

would be able to do so in high school.

“It’s kind of sad because I’ll never play with these girls again,”

Lawson said. “But that was so much fun to be able to be next to them

one last time.”

Lawson finished with 10 assists, Smith had two kills and had four

kills and a service ace.

Brittany Moore, a middle blocker from El Modena High, was the MVP

after finishing with a match-high eight kills.