Santa Cruz sweeps SHC, advances to third section final since '22 | CCS boys volleyball
SANTA CRUZ - Santa Cruz High's boys volleyball team came out on fire in its Central Coast Section Division II semifinal and swept No. 3 Sacred Heart Cathedral 25-16, 25-19, 25-17 on Thursday evening.
The No. 2 seed Cardinals face No. 1 Carmel for the section title at Saint Francis High in Mountain View on Saturday at noon.
The Cardinals lost their previous two title-game appearances in 2022 (D-II) and '24 (Open Division).
"As a team, we played great tonight," said Charlie Hess, a senior outside hitter for the Cardinals. "We connected well and we passed and blocked good. We've really come together the last few games. Saturday is important to us. We just want to keep going on this hot streak."
On Thursday at home, Santa Cruz displayed a diverse offense with Hess drilling 13 kills, Matty Rayray belting down 10 kills and athletic middle Guillermo Mazier bashing nine kills in 10 attempts, an amazing .900 attack percentage. Setters Lucas Hansen and Nathan Monroe left SHC befuddled as to from where the hit would come, hindering the Fighting Irish's attempts to block at the net. The Cardinals' defense featured a great block at the net and solid back-row digging, led by libero Lucas Kamalani.
"Our passing and ball control was key," Kamalani said. "Our block was strong. And we executed well on offense. We're playing disciplined volleyball. I'm excited. It's our first time back in a final in a couple years."
Santa Cruz rocketed out to dominant early leads in the first two sets. SHC finally found some rhythm in the third set, but the Cardinals maintained a small advantage through the mid-point of the set and closed the night on a six-point run.
"We established the middle early and got Guillermo going," Santa Cruz coach Peter Edwards said. "That was our biggest plus tonight. Then they often had nobody to block pins Matty and Charlie. On defense, our block did a good job cutting them off. And once they did get through, Lucas had a lot of good touches. He's a very good defender."
Santa Cruz shot out to an 8-2 lead in the opening set and rolled thereafter. The Irish never got closer than five points. The second set was a bit closer. But after a 6-2 lead was narrowed to 8-6, Santa Cruz took control and led by three or more the rest of the set.
In the third, SHC's Miles Rafloski and Lewis Fannon started putting some balls down. But the Santa Cruz attack continued to blast winners, either overpowering the block or in finding seams. At 10-10, SC's right side hitter Felippe Zacarias Melo ripped a cross and Rayray and Hess rifled kills and the lead grew back to three. Santa Cruz closed the night with a rush, highlighted by two aces and a kill from Hess and a vicious cross from Rayray.
"Everything flowed well," Mazier said. "We were focused and played super well. Everyone felt locked in. We used a little trickery and they didn't know whether to defend middle or the pins. They had to hold their blockers to watch James (Bush) and I in the middle. That meant less blockers for the pin or the oppo. It's really really exciting to play for the title. We're excited to play Carmel."
SC's season mark is now 23-13, capping a five-year run with a record of 152-37 overall, 55-3 in league play. Now the Cardinals play for the one thing missing in their trophy case.
"We've been gelling and improved our mental resilience during the year," Edwards said. "And the boys are more confident in tight situations and in closing out tight games. We're excited to be there (in the final)."
THE SCORES
Santa Cruz 3, Sacred Heart Cathedral 0
25-16, 25-19, 25-17
Up next: D-II Championship, No. 2 Santa Cruz vs. No. 1 Carmel
When: Saturday, noon
Where: Saint Francis High, Mountain View
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