VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: HARVARD-WESTLAKE SUCCUMBS IN FIVE.

Byline: Daily News

After watching his team engage in a match that lasted nearly three hours, Harvard-Westlake Coach, Jess Quiroz, analyzed his team's performance.

``We were swinging with too much power and not enough finesse,'' Quiroz said. ``They were swinging smarter.''

Quiroz was referring to Corona del Mar, which defeated the Wolverines 15-10, 15-12, 13-15, 6-15, 15-8 Friday night in a Southern Section Division I quarterfinal at Corona del Mar.

Harvard-Westlake (15-4) rallied from an two-game deficit to force a fifth game. Will Curtis (23 kills) and John Katz (25 kills) played prominent roles in wins in games three and four.

The Wolverines' momentum stopped in the fifth game. ``We got caught on our heels in the final game,'' Quiroz said.

Corona del Mar (15-2), which won the Division III title last season, was led by middle blocker Dennis Alshuler with 26 kills.

- Bryan Rodgers

In other area volleyball playoff games Friday night:

Alemany d. Bishop Montgomery: In what might be considered a mild upset, at least as far as Alemany coach Jamie Quaglino was concerned, the host Indians swept past the third-seeded Knights 15-11, 15-12, 15-13 as Indians senior Richard Nelson had 18 kills, 17 digs and a service ace to close end the match.

Kevin O'Shea added 45 assists and Darrin Phillips had 13 kills and 12 digs for Alemany (13-6).

Bishiop Montgomery took its first league in the third game, rallying from an 11-7 deficit to take a 13-11 lead when Quaglino called timeout and told his team to relax and rely on the fundamentals that got them there.

``The guys had a look of confidence that they could battle back, as they had done all season, and win this match in three,'' Quaglino said. ``I started this program eight years ago, and you could say this program came of age tonight.''

- George Vranau

In other Division I play, third-seeded Newport Harbor defeated Marina 15-12, 18-16, 15-8, and Esperanza upset second-seeded Loyola, outlasting the Mission League-champion Cubs 14-16, 17-15, 15-9, 6-15, 15-6.

In other Division II action, top-seeded Redondo defeated Gahr 10-15, 15-6, 15-8, 15-13 to earn a semifinal berth against Servite, a 15-7, 4-15, 15-9, 15-5 upset winner over fourth-seeded Dos Pueblos. Channel League champion San Marcos, the No. 2 seed, got past Bolsa Grande 15-9, 15-8, 14-16, 15-2 to reach the semifinals.

Village Christian, seeded No. 3 in Division III, played at St. Monica Friday after pulling out a five-game second-round win at Laguna Blanca, rallying from a two-game deficit to reach the quarterfinals.