SANTA ANA – The Laguna Hills boys volleyball team was one step away from the title of the Foothill Varsity Classic until a Storm arrived, derailing all plans.
Lakewood’s Storm Fa’agata was unstoppable in the finals match, recording 13 kills in the first set, leading the Lancers to a 25-18, 25-22 victory over the Hawks (21-9) at Foothill High on Saturday.
“I’m proud of the boys,” Laguna Hills coach Dave Crandall said. “I loved the energy. We got a little bit tired at the end because we’re thin on the bench. Second is not a bad place to be.”
The Hawks won their pool Friday night and defeated Estancia, Beckman and Sea View League rival San Juan Hills (26-24, 24-26, 15-10) to advance to the finals.
Laguna Hills tied the first set at 13-13, but the Lancers took the lead for good with four consecutive points.
The second set saw the Hawks take a 14-11 lead, forcing Lakewood into a timeout. At 15-12, Lakewood went on a 6-1 run to take an 18-16 lead.
Fa’agata added 12 kills in the second set.
“He’s a beast,” Crandall said of Fa’agata. “He’s probably one of the best players I’ve faced in the 25 years of coaching. He’s that good.”
The Hawks also showed their abilities in the tournament. They didn’t lose a set in three matches Friday and continued that strong effort Saturday.
Dane Malilay led the way with 10 kills. Zach Perry had six and Lucas LaMont five. Crandall also highlighted the play of setter Connor Whitt.
The victory over San Juan Hills in the semifinals was a highlight for Hawks.
“That was something that we needed,” Crandall said. “We lost to them in three (in league). In any sport you’re either trending up or down. We’re trending up right now.”
Sixth-ranked Foothill (16-4) lost its first match in the playoffs, but regrouped to win out for the Silver Division title. The Knights defeated El Dorado, 23-25, 25-22, 15-10, in the finals. Foothill also defeated Canyon and Mission Viejo.
Seventh-ranked Dana Hills and Aliso Niguel finished tied for fifth. San Juan Hills upset the Dolphins in the second round.
— DAMIAN CALHOUN
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
