Prep Roundup : Irvine Tops Laguna Beach in Volleyball

Laguna Beach High School dug and blocked and scrambled and did everything but beat No. 1-seeded Irvine Thursday in the semifinals of the Southern Section 5-A girls’ volleyball playoffs at Woodbridge High.

Laguna Beach (17-4) took leads in 4 of the 5 games--the problem was, the Artists didn’t get out in front in Game 5. Irvine (17-0), defending state champion, won that game to win the match, 13-15, 15-7, 15-7, 6-15, 15-4, and advance to Saturday’s final against No. 3-seeded Mira Costa.

Mira Costa (22-0) defeated No. 2-seeded Santa Barbara, 11-15, 15-12, 15-12, 15-2, in the other semifinal.

Irvine won the last game doing what it had found difficult throughout the match. Bev Oden had 5 kills in the last game--she had 26 in the match--and got support from Sara Lockemy and Melinda Norton, who combined for 7 kills in the decisive game.

Irvine, a team that depends on power, had trouble getting the ball down against Laguna Beach, which scrambled to dig an amazing number of hits. Norton, especially, had trouble getting her spikes by Laguna Beach’s Sara Nelson, who seemed to be everywhere Norton’s hits were going.

“Melinda gets in a groove of hitting cross court and Sara did a great job picking that up and anticipating,” said Mark McKenzie, Irvine coach.

Laguna Beach’s ability to get to Irvine’s spikes meant long rallies--the majority of which were seemingly won by Laguna Beach.

“I bet they won 70 to 80% of those long rallies,” McKenzie said.

Laguna Beach won the first game by limiting Irvine to just 8 kills, 5 by Oden. Laguna Beach took a 4-0 lead in the second game, but Irvine, led by the blocking and hitting of Lockemy (3 kills and 3 blocks), scored 11 straight points and went on to win.

Laguna Beach led, 4-2, in the third game, only to have Irvine score 7 in a row to go up, 8-4. Laguna Beach pulled to within 8-7, but Lockemy and Oden combined to lead Irvine to 7 consecutive points and the game.

In the Southern Section 3-A girls’ volleyball semifinals:

El Modena 3, Los Altos 1--Tracy Endecavageh had 43 assists and 9 blocks as the Vanguards upset No. 2 seeed Los Altos, 11-15, 15-10, 15-9, 15-8, at Orange High School. Janet Reed had 21 kills and Jennifer Fregosi 16 for El Modena (20-4), which will play Sunny Hills in the final Saturday.

In the Southern Section 4-A girls’ tennis semifinals:

Corona del Mar 11, Palos Verdes 7--Keri and Kristy Phebus both swept their single’ sets as the second-seeded Sea Kings (21-1) advanced to the final with a victory at Palos Verdes. Keri Phebus, a freshman, won 6-0, 6-1, 6-0. Corona del Mar will play No. 1 seeed Miraleste (12-0) in the final Tuesday at the Claremont Club.

In the Southern Section 3-A girls’ tennis quarterfinals:

Capistrano Valley 14, Agoura 4--Michelle Foster and Page Bartel both swept as Capistrano Valley (20-1) won 7 of 9 singles sets en route to a victory at Westlake Village Tennis Club in Agoura. Foster won, 6-3, 6-1, 6-0. Capistrano Valley will play San Marino in the final Tuesday at the Claremont Club.

In the Southern Section 2-A girls tennis semifinals:

St. Lucy’s 10, Fulleton 8--Ritu Manjunath won 2 of 3 singles sets, 0-6, 6-1, 6-0, as third-seeded St. Lucy’s (21-0) at Citrus College. Fullerton (16-3) was led by Loraine Lau, who won 6-0, 6-1, 6-1.