DIV. II VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: VALENCIA'S RUN COMES TO AN END CORONA DEL MAR SNUFFS 3-PEAT QUEST COR. DEL MAR 3, VALENCIA 0.Byline: Erik Boal Special to the Daily News CYPRESS - One of the most impressive postseason runs in Southern Section boys' volleyball history came to a sudden, humbling end Saturday at Cypress College Cypress College is a community college located in Cypress, California. Opened on September 12 1966 , the southern California college offers a variety of general education (51 associates degrees), transfer courses (58 transfer majors), and 139 vocational programs leading to . Valencia, the two-time defending Div. II champion and winner of 11 consecutive playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. matches, was looking to become only the fifth program in the 32-year history of the boys' volleyball championships to win three consecutive titles. Unfortunately for the Vikings, Corona Corona, city, United States Corona (kərō`nə), city (1990 pop. 76,095), Riverside co., S Calif.; inc. 1896. The city developed as a primary citrus fruit producer and shipping center. There is also light manufacturing. del Mar Del Mar is the name of several places in the United States of America:
``They hadn't lost a game in the playoffs, so we felt like if we could take one off them they might feel the pressure a little more and we could see how they were going to react,'' said Corona del Mar coach Steve Conti Conti (kôNtē`), cadet branch of the French royal house of Bourbon. Although the title of prince of Conti was created in the 16th cent. , whose team lost 25-15, 25-13, 25-15 to Valencia in last year's semifinals. ``It's easier to come from the bottom than it is to stay on top, so we felt we could play a little looser than them. We have 10 seniors on this team (compared to Valencia's three) and the guys came in with a lot of confidence. They felt this was their shot to get it.'' The Valencia team that competed against Corona del Mar (27-7) on Saturday offered a sharp contrast to the group that swept the Sea Kings on its way to defeating Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. in last year's final. Only junior middle blocker Teddy Goetz - who finished with seven kills, 15 digs and three aces - was on the floor when the Vikings celebrated back-to-back crowns last season. Corona del Mar took advantage of its experience to win almost every critical point, outlasting the Vikings (29-7) on a number of long rallies with exceptional defensive play and the clutch hitting of senior Kevin Welch (13 kills). ``I don't fault our boys at all. When you come up against a team that's literally digging every ball, it makes it hard to get anything going,'' said Valencia coach Mark Knudsen, whose team was making its fifth consecutive appearance in the finals, including two trips to the Div. I title match. ``Give all the credit that's due to Corona del Mar. They came out here to win and they outplayed us. ``When you do have that (pressure of being the two-time defending champion defending champion n (SPORT) → defensor/a m/f del título defending champion n (Sport) → champion(ne) en titre ), people come after you. There were a lot of guys on that team who lost to us last year and they wanted to redeem themselves.'' Valencia, which received seven kills and 11 digs from freshman Jamey Ker and nine kills from junior Sean Carter, took its biggest lead at 16-12 in the third game. Corona del Mar - which won the Div. I title in 2000 - responded by scoring seven of the next eight points, before Valencia tied it at 23 and again at 24. The Sea Kings closed out the match on a kill by Welch. Erik Boal, (818) 713-3607 erik.boal(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Corona del Mar High's Tom Welch Tom Welch is an English footballer, currently unattached having been released from Crystal Palace F.C. in August 2006. He is a right-sided midfielder who came through the highly-regarded youth system at Crystal Palace, but despite impressing for both the Under-18 and Reserve celebrates after beating Valencia for Div. II volleyball title. Matt Simmons/Special to the Daily News |
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