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Boys’ Volleyball: CdM falls to Loyola

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LOS ANGELES — For the second time in five days, Corona del Mar High and Los Angeles Loyola played each other in a key boys’ volleyball match.

The previous contest took place on a neutral site on Saturday, when the Cubs swept CdM in the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions finale. Loyola played host to Wednesday’s match, and the Cubs actually brought out the brooms early.

A ceiling tile crashed onto the court after a CdM dig struck it in the second set. No one was hurt during the incident, which took a three-man crew to clean up, one picked up the tile and two swept the debris away.

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The Cubs went on to win the second set to go up, 2-0, but there would not be another sweep of CdM. It took four sets for Loyola to top the Sea Kings, winning 25-20, 28-26, 21-25, 25-17.

The Sea Kings (19-6), ranked No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 poll, dropped another one to No. 2 Loyola (22-1) and it will cost them. With the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs three weeks away, the setback all but ruined CdM’s hopes of locking up one of the top two seeds.

It’s unusual for two highly ranked teams to see one another twice in such a short period. The schedule worked out that way. In the off-season, when CdM Coach Steve Conti set up April’s nonleague match with Loyola, he said he was unaware that Loyola planned a trip to the Santa Barbara tournament as well.

Wherever CdM has faced Loyola in the last 11 months, the Cubs have the Sea Kings’ number. The Cubs beat CdM for the third straight time, two of those have come at Loyola, where the Sea Kings also lost a heartbreaking five-set match in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs last season.

“They were more efficient than us, they make less unforced errors, and I think they play harder than us, too, and that’s kind of a frustrating thing,” said Conti, who has never won in five tries at Loyola during his 20 years in charge of the Sea Kings. “Their guys are flying all over the place and we’re sometimes getting a touch on the ball and standing around and kind of watching a little bit. That’s a little frustrating right now.

“I think [playing Loyola again is] the scenario that you would hope for. I mean, anyone who is competitive when you lose to someone, I think you always want the opportunity to play that team again, an opportunity of redemption.”

The Sea Kings fell way short of becoming the second team to down Loyola this season. Only No. 1 Huntington Beach (27-0) has been able to knock off Loyola. The Oilers have beaten everyone in their last 91 matches.

The Oilers and Cubs have shown they are the top two programs and many expect them to square off in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final for the third year in a row. Loyola Coach Michael Boehle has led his team to the section finals in five out of the last six years, but the Cubs have lost three consecutive times on the big stage.

The Cubs rallied and beat CdM in the semifinals to reach the section finale last year. They didn’t have to come back against CdM on Wednesday.

The match attracted John Speraw, UCLA’s coach, and Bill Ferguson, USC’s coach. There was a lot of talent on the court, CdM senior outside hitter Ryan Moss is heading to USC, along with Loyola senior libero Matt Douglas.

The best player proved to Loyola’s Matt Reilly, who is pretty smart as well. He’s going to MIT. The senior outside hitter finished with 22 kills and three solo blocks, while senior outside hitter Luke Nassif added 11 kills. Junior setters Davis Boehle and Casey McGarry finished with 23 and 19 assists, respectively.

UC Santa Barbara-bound opposite Kevin Fults led CdM with 10 kills and four block assists. Moss, junior middle blocker Will Hunter and senior middle blocker Augie Miller contributed eight kills apiece. Matt Ctvrtlik, a junior setter, totaled 34 assists, seven digs, three kills and two solo blocks.

“I hope we can see them again,” Michael Boehle said, before changing his mind about Loyola and CdM meeting in the semifinals again. “I mean, I don’t. It’s hard to beat a team three times. We all want to get [to the final]. We all want to knock down that black and orange team [from Huntington Beach].”

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