SAN CLEMENTEThe regular season is still young for the ninth-ranked San Clemente girls volleyball team.
Entering Tuesday’s nonleague match against eighth-ranked Huntington Beach, the Tritons had played just one match and that was a three-game loss last week to Torrey Pines.
Their second match will give the Tritons (1-1) something positive to build off of.
San Clemente overcame a first-game setback to defeat visiting Huntington Beach (6-2), 21-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-19.
Alexa Strange and Franki Darnold led the Tritons with 14 kills. Stephanie McFadden added 10.
“Game one, I made the wrong lineup,” San Clemente coach Rob O’Rear said. “I put the wrong lineup in and that’s all on my shoulders.
“But they battled back. They learned to deal with adversity in that situation.”
The Tritons were called for four rotation errors in the first game.
“We our opposites playing middle, our middles playing opposites … it was all mixed up,” Strange said. “Once we got the lineup sorted out, we started flowing.”
The road back started in the second game took control late. With the score tied at 20-20, the Tritons took advantage of two errors by the Oilers and kills from Haley Kool and Brice Lennon for a 24-20 lead. Darnold closed the game out with a kill, giving the Tritons a much-needed momentum boost.
“I think we played a lot more together, after the first game,” Strange said.
“This win was definitely a confidence booster. It showed our potential. I think we’re going to be a lot better then a lot of people thought.”
Strange also had 25 assists and 14 digs. Darnold had seven digs. Summer Cumin had 26 assists and 15 digs.
Aly Torline led the Oilers with 14 kills.
In nonleague action
No. 1 Los Alamitos 3, Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach 0: Fresh off of their second-place finish at the Durango Fall Classic, the Griffins (14-1) showed no sign of a letdown, sweeping the host Mustangs, 25-23, 25-22, 25-14.
JoJo Schnabl led Los Alamitos with 13 kills. Alijah Gunsaulus added nine. Justine Wong-Orantes had 27 assists.
No. 5 Santa Margarita 3, Dana Hills 0: Sofia Martinez-Lavin led the Eagles (4-3) with 17 kills in their 25-11, 25-14, 28-26 victory over the Dolphins.
Brittany Ptak and Katy Crouse had 10 and nine kills, respectively. Kendally Cygan had 38 assists. Taylor Whittingham haad 20 digs.
No. 10 Tesoro 3, Woodbridge 0: Sierra Bates led the visiting Titans (9-2) with 10 kills, Sarah Krufka and Lindsay Liegler had eight and six respectively, the 25-19, 25-23, 25-11 victory over the Warriors.
St. Margaret’s 3, Ocean View 0: The Tartans, ranked No. 1 in the CIF-SS Division 4-AA rankings, defeated the fifth-ranked Seahawks, 27-25, 25-21, 25-21.
Peighton McRobie had 13 kills and 10 digs for the Tartans. Gigi Morally (12 kills, eight digs), Emily Moore (36 assists and 10 digs) Ali Robinson (11 kills, four blocks, nine digs) and Ashley Torok (18 digs) also had a hand in the victory
Orange Lutheran 3, Redondo Union 2: In one of the season’s biggest upsets so far, the visiting Lancers (2-3) defeated the Seahawks, who are ranked third in the CIF-SS Division 1-AA poll, 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-12.
Troy 3, El Modena 0: Kayla Chapman had 10 kills and Sierra Wilson had 25 assists and four digs in the 25-11, 25-16, 25-19 home victory for the Warriors.
In the Century League
El Dorado 3, Brea Olinda 0: Kelly Claes led the host Golden Hawks (5-5, 1-0) with 16 kills and Kelly Korryne had 19 digs in the 25-21, 25-17, 25-10 road victory.
