Next stop: Finals

ORANGE ? It’s been a season of first-time accomplishments for the Costa Mesa High boys’ volleyball team. The Mustangs swept rival Estancia for the first time, then captured its first-ever Golden West League title with its first undefeated league season.

The trend continued Wednesday night, as the No. 2-seeded Mustangs defeated No. 3 seed Orange Lutheran, 25-13, 25-16, 25-21, in the CIF Southern Section Division III semifinals. With the victory, Costa Mesa reached the Division III championship match for the first time in school history.

The Mustangs will face top-seeded Santa Monica on Saturday at Cypress College at 1 p.m.

“It’s an amazing feeling, I have no words right now,” said senior outside hitter Ryan Bagwell.

The Mustangs were taken to four games in a first-round victory over Loara and in their quarterfinal win over Los Altos. But they made quick work of defending champion Orange Lutheran, disposing of the Lancers in an hour.

“They were just really fired up,” Costa Mesa Coach Chris Komer said. “They came to play.”

Costa Mesa setter Andrew Melcer, who missed part of season with mononucleosis, spread the ball around with aplomb, allowing multiple players to play the role of hero during the match.

In game one, it was senior outside hitter Will Lefebvre, who had five kills and two aces in the game. The Lancers, dealing with a Mustang crowd that was as big and louder than their own, committed several unforced errors in the first game, allowing Costa Mesa to jump out to commanding leads of 9-2, 15-5 and 24-13 after a pair of aces by Lefebvre. Melcer closed out the game himself, putting the ball away and leaving Lancer defenders flat-footed.

Games two and three were highlighted by the net play of seniors Mitch Caldwell, Ryan French and Lefebvre. The second game became a Mustang block party of sorts, when seniors Lefebvre, Trevor Smith and Ryan Bagwell each put down blocks to kill any thoughts Orange Lutheran might have had of gaining any momentum.

With Costa Mesa fans doing the wave and reacting to every point and the Mustangs firing on all cylinders, the Lancers had a terrible time gaining back any momentum. The Mustangs were also getting the breaks. One of the few times Melcer’s setting was off-target, the ball cleared the net and found the floor on the Lancers’ side.

Not that the Mustangs needed any breaks. They responded to Lancer kills with multiple kills of their own, and usually added a block or an ace for good measure.

When the Lancers put together two kills and a block to pull to within 18-12 in the second game, the Mustangs quickly responded with kills by Lefebvre and Caldwell.

Caldwell closed out the second game with two kills off perfect sets from Melcer. Caldwell tallied six kills in game two and finished the match with a team-high 10 kills.

“We practiced a lot on getting the ball to the middle and it paid off,” Caldwell said. “Plus, their middles had trouble adjusting and switching with us, which worked to our advantage.”

Five different Mustangs registered blocks in the third game.

Orange Lutheran (19-9), trying to avoid the sweep, pulled to within 22-19, igniting its home fans for the first time. Smith and Orange Lutheran’s Cory Hindemit (team-high 10 kills) traded kills, then Caldwell put down the last two kills to clinch the victory.

“As soon as I saw the last one go down, I got the tingles all over,” Caldwell said.

Levebvre tallied seven kills and four blocks and Bagwell added five kills, two aces and two blocks.

“Will [Levebvre] had some monster blocks and he was putting it down,” Caldwell said.

Bagwell was pumped to see the Mustangs go to the middle so much.

“When we go to the middle like that, then we can go anywhere,” he said.

In a season of firsts, can the Mustangs go one step further and capture their first CIF title?

“I feel we have a great chance if we come out like we did today,” Bagwell said.dpt-cmvolley25.IMG0GraphicInfoPB1RADL720060525PB1RADL7No Captiondpt.25-vb-ol-cm-4-CPhotoInfoAJ1RADHK20060525izszcxncMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)The Costa Mesa High boys’ volleyball team celebrates a point in Wednesday’s CIF Southern Section Division III semifinal against Orange Lutheran. The Mustangs won to reach the division final for the first time in school history. dpt.25-vb-ol-cm-5-CPhotoInfoAJ1RADOQ20060525izszeyncMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Costa Mesa’s Andrew Melcer sets the ball during Wednesday’s CIF Southern Section Division III semifinal.