Santa Margarita isn't backing down in volleyball
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The Eagles defeat Mater Dei to continue their emergence as a force in the county.
Santa Margarita boys volleyball coach Jeff Uhrig picked his team to finish second in the Trinity League before the season.
“Did I? It could have been third,” he said.
The Eagles looked like maybe the third best team in the county in their 25-21, 29-27, 20-25, 25-18 victory against Mater Dei on Friday night.
“We can be,” said Uhrig, before adding, “I think it's going to be very difficult going undefeated in league.”
Santa Margarita (19-5, 2-0) also beat Mater Dei (9-7, 1-1) in March in the Nike Invitational. In Friday's league meeting, played in front of a few hundred people at Mater Dei High, the Eagles carried themselves like it was just another match.
“That's how we practice,” Uhrig said. “You try to minimize the highs and minimize the lows.”
The Monarchs led the second game, 27-26, when the Eagles' Tanner Jansen tied it with a kill. He then listened as his coach yelled for him to “stay deep,” providing the game-winning block and a two-game lead. Jansen had 16 kills and middle blocker Steven Shandrick had nine kills.
“Shandrick did really well controlling the net,” Uhrig said. “They had to pay a lot of attention to him.”
Outside hitters Connor Hughes and Harrison Carroll kept the match close early on for Mater Dei, but the defending league champs struggled with missed serves and unforced errors throughout.
“We got to improve. We're not very consistent,” Mater Dei coach Darrick Lucero said. “They were consistent.”
In the Sunset League:
Newport Harbor 3, Edison 2: Tucker Peleuses had 17 kills as the host Sailors (14-3, 2-0) beat the Chargers (9-10, 1-1), 22-25, 19-25, 25-14, 25-21, 15-13.
Fountain Valley 3, Esperanza 0: Tim Kutnick had 22 assists as the host Barons (18-6,1-1) swept the Aztecs (6-10,0-2), 25-14, 25-18, 25-23.
In the Golden West League:
Segerstrom 3, Santa Ana 2: Diego Chavez had 15 kills to help the host Jaguars (3-0) defeat the Saints (12-2, 2-1), 21-25, 25-20, 25-23, 14-25, 15-13.
In the Orange Coast League:
Laguna Beach 3, Costa Mesa 0: Travis Woloson had 17 assists as the Breakers (12-6, 4-0) beat the host Mustangs (9-17, 0-3), 25-10, 28-26, 25-19.|
Contact the writer: amaya@ocregister.com
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