Santa Cruz posts another sweep, moves into regional championship for first time | Boys volleyball

SANTA CRUZ - The top-seeded Santa Cruz HIgh's boys volleyball team added to its unforgettable postseason on Thursday night by sweeping No. 4 Beyer of Modesto 25-21, 25-15, 25-23 in the CIF Division III NorCal Regional semifinals to enter uncharted territory.

With the Cardinals' latest win, they advanced to the regional championship for the first time in program history.

"We were very consistent and controlled," Santa Cruz junior outside hitter Matty Rayray said. "We were aggressive and confident in our swings. We worked all week on our blocking. Our defense was good and behind us, we always have Lucas (Kamalani, a senior libero); he's always there."

Santa Cruz (27-13 overall), the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League runner-up and newly crowned Central Coast Section D-II champ, hosts No. 3 Mountain View (23-18) for the regional title on Saturday at 6 p.m. The winner faces the SoCal champion, either No. 1 Central East (28-14) of Fresno or No. 6 Mission Bay (31-6) of San Diego, in the state championship at Fresno City College on May 30.

Senior outside hitter Charlie Hess and Rayray each had 10 kills to lead Santa Cruz past Beyer. Kamalani led the defense with 13 digs.

"I gotta give props to Santa Cruz," Beyer coach Carl Wheeler said. "They put pressure on our passers and kept us off balance. We're usually in system, but not tonight. And they kept the ball in play and that caused problems for us. You gotta win the serve and pass game and they won the serve and pass game."

Santa Cruz coach Peter Edwards noted the team's strategy was to slow Beyer's two big outside hitters, Brett Bird and Luke Rossi. The Cardinals also won the long rallies and scramble plays to turbo-charge the home fans.

Beyer arrived with energy, cheered on by a rooter bus full of excited students. They even put their own posters up on the wall. But the Cardinal Nation outnumbered the Patririots' fans 150 to 50 and had much more to yell about.

Santa Cruz broke open a 12-12 first set tie with a seven-point run. Guillermo Mazier was serving tough and the Patriots could not get their offense rolling. Hess was unstoppable with seven kills in the set.

The momentum continued during a dominant second set. Two Beyer time outs could not stem the tide as Santa Cruz rocketed out to a 17-7 lead and won comfortably.

In the third set, the Patriots finally got something rolling. A late charge put them ahead 23-20. Santa Cruz found another level. In a 5-0 closing burst, Rayray put down a kill and SC closed with Mazier blocking down Bird and Cardinals junior opposite/outside hitter Felippe Zacarias Melo doing the same on the next point. Fans and the SC bench both rushed the floor in a big celebration.

"Sometimes this year, we have shrunk in those tight situations," Edwards said. "We didn't at the moment tonight. Overall, our block did a good job and we got touches and that allowed Lucas free to run around. I'm excited to be here (in Saturday's final). We hope to keep the trajectory going."

That trajectory is spotlighted by this being the fourth straight sweep in the playoffs.

"I'm really excited for the final," SC setter Nathan Monroe said. "It's the first time in school history. Overall, we're jelling as a team. Off the court, we're friends and we've bonded. And on the court, the connections between the setters and the hitters are better."

Mountain View, the Cardinals' next opponent, is on a roll of its own. The Spartans, the fourth-place finisher in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's De Anza Division and CCS D-I runner-up, swept No. 6 Lowell of San Francisco in their NorCal opener and No. 7 Carmel 25-17, 25-22, 29-27 in the semifinal.

"It's crazy," said Kamalani, a senior who has been on the varsity four years. "It's the first time in my whole career to get to the final. It's super great and it's a great opportunity for us. We can show that Santa Cruz is still good at volleyball."

THE SCORE

Santa Cruz 3, Beyer 0

25-21, 25-15, 25-23

Up next: CIF D-III NorCal Regional final, Mountain View at Santa Cruz

When: Saturday, 6 p.m.

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