IRVINE – Corona del Mar’s girls volleyball team defeated Beckman in a Pacific Coast League matchup Thursday in a competitive three sets, 26-24, 25-19, 25-19, at Beckman High.
The Patriots jumped to a 15-9 lead in the opening set in front of a rabid student section. The Sea Kings scored six consecutive points and forced Beckman coach Darin McBain to call a timeout.
“We didn’t panic. We’ve had slow starts from time to time,” CdM coach Steve Astor said. “We knew if we were patient we had a chance to go on a run later, and we took advantage of our chances.”
After trading leads for the remainder of the first set, freshman Kylie Kipp blocked a shot to give CdM a 25-24 lead. Senior Jessie Harris scored to give CdM a 26-24 win in the opening frame.
The Sea Kings (17-1, 7-0) avoided a slow start in the second set and never let the Patriots get within three points.
Beckman (19-9, 4-3) trailed, 23-19, when the referee called a net violation on the Patriots to the dismay of the home crowd and McBain. After another error gave the Sea Kings the second set, McBain talked to the official and was given a yellow card.
CdM opened the third set on a 7-2 run, forcing a Beckman timeout. The blocking unit led by Kipp made it difficult for Beckman to find ways to score.
“They (Beckman) were getting good angles in the first set, so we made some adjustments,” Astor said. “The players did a good job executing the adjustments and when your blockers play well, your back row plays well so that was nice for us.”
Sydney Alacano scored the final point of the match to keep the Sea Kings undefeated in league.
