Sand Volleyball (9-2)
Team:
Laguna opened the playoffs, defeating Notre Dame Academy 3-0 Friday, May 12.
No. 1 team, seniors Lauren LaMontagne and Kendyl Brennan, won 2-0. The second team, freshmen Peri Brennan and Hallie Carballo, won 2-0. And the third team, freshmen Piper Naess and Soren Patchell, won 2-0.
In the league quarter-final, Laguna defeated Oxnard 3-0 at Santa Monica Saturday, May 13, with the same line up in the top two teams and Kylee Matheson teaming with Naess in the third.
In the semi-final, Laguna lost to Mira Costa HS. – Teams Brennan and Carballo, Matheson and Naess lost their matches. LaMontagne and Brennan were tied 1-1 heading into a third game, but vacated the match after Costa clinched victories at 2s and 3s.
This is the league’s sixth season and Laguna’s fourth season
2012 Valencia/Valencia d. Mira Costa no team
2013 Mira Costa d. Valencia/Valencia no team
2014 Mira Costa d. Valencia/Valencia (Lost in Qtrs)
2015 Mira Costa d. Saddleback Valley Christian (lost in Round of 16)
2016 Mira Costa d. Laguna Beach
2017 Mira Costa d. Palisades (Lost in Semi’s)
Individual:
Freshmen Piper Naess and Soren Patchell lost in the first round, to tie for 9th place. Laguna’s other teams made it to the quarterfinals before getting eliminated, ending up tied for fifth place; Lauren LaMontagne and Kendyl Brennan, and freshmen Peri Brennan and Hallie Carballo.
Junior Varsity:
Laguna’s JV finished second in the 26-team JV playoffs, losing to Mira Costa in the team finals.
No. 1 team, junior Chloe Edep and freshman Cambria Hall; second team, junior Darla Fontenot and freshman Olivia Nitoglia; third team, junior Kassandra Rocker and freshman Madison Rogers.
Boys Volleyball (20-5)
Breakers Take CdM to the Edge, Lose in Fifth Set
Laguna’s run at a Division 1 crown almost succeeded against the county’s top team as the Sea Kings held off the Breakers 25-13, 21-25, 25-17, 23-25 15-12 in front of a divided crowd at Corona del Mar Saturday, May 13 in the Southern Section CIF D-1 quarterfinal.
Breakers tried a different rotation in the initial set and were not a match for the tall and powerful hosts (29-3) who drilled Laguna 25-13 and were never threatened. Set two was a different story with the Breakers returning to their usual rotation and matched Corona point by point as the set unfolded. The turning point came at 6-7 when a long rally ended on a set error by the Sea Kings tying the contest at 7. Enzo Sadler went back to serve and hit an ace. Jack Burgi added a cross-court kill on the next play followed by another Sadler ace and it was 10-7 Laguna.
The crowed was now engaged and Corona realized they were in a fight. Credit Laguna’s fans for creating an atmosphere that erased any home court advantage for the Sea Kings. Breakers never trailed in set two to even the contest.
The third set was back and forth with each team fighting for every point until late as Corona pulled out a 25-17 win.
Set four was tight throughout as Barry Greenough recorded six kills and two blocks to help keep the Breakers in the set. At 20-20 Greenough hit a kill to make it 21-20 and the Laguna fans erupted. Greenough and Obradovich teamed up for a block to make it 22-20 and a Sea King hitting error made it 23-20. Jack Burgi delivered on two kills to send the match to set five and the momentum seemed to be in Laguna’s corner.
The fifth set was a point by point battle. Breakers appeared on empty fighting for every pass even as they pulled to 12-13. Corona and their fans withheld any anticipation of victory until their final point off a block.
Breakers continued the performance that started on Thursday, May 11, when they sent the favored Mater Dei Monarchs (29-4) packing in a 25-23, 24-26, 25-18, 25-10 victory at Dugger Gym. The Trinity League Champs caught the Breakers in set two at 24-24 to steal the set win, but never led after that. Breakers blocked the Monarchs off the court setting a school four-set match record with 16 net blocks for points.
Final season statistics honors, records will be detailed after the team banquet in early June.
