It was becoming Connor Koski clinched El Camino Actual’s championship with a block on match level in Saturday night time’s Metropolis Part Open Division boys volleyball closing at Birmingham Excessive in Lake Balboa.
“I timed my jump and I thought it was going out but I guess it hit [an opposing player’s] foot on the way down,” stated an exuberant Koski, who moved from center blocker to reverse hitter earlier than the playoffs. “I asked [coach Alyssa Lee] to switch me and it worked.”
El Camino Actual’s triumph culminated in a 25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21 victory over top-seeded Venice, however the title was 4 years within the making. Eleven of the Royals’ 12 gamers are seniors.
“We’re all friends, we all trust each other, and it’s a dream come true to win a championship in one of our last matches together,” stated Tyler Lee, who paced the squad with 14 kills. “We’ve lost our share of five setters, so we wanted to end this thing in four.”
Connor Koski hammers a kill over Venice’s Sam Engelen within the Metropolis Part Open Division boys’ volleyball closing at Birmingham Excessive on Saturday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Occasions)
Koski, El Camino Actual’s lone junior, had eight kills, together with one to finish the second set. Dev Vunnam and Christian Romero additionally every had eight kills, Jackson Riepe had seven and Nicolas Gerola served 4 aces, the primary of which gave El Camino Actual the primary set.
The third-seeded Royals (27-13) bought scorching on the proper time and avenged a pair of West Valley League losses to Chatsworth by ending the Chancellors’ bid for a 3rd straight Open title with a stunning 25-23, 25-16, 25-22 semifinal upset Tuesday.
“I’ve known this group since their freshman year and I’ve push them hard in practice to prepare them for those situations,” stated Lee, who understands the depth of each match within the West Valley League, having performed libero for Granada Hills earlier than graduating in 2009. “The physical talent is there but the mental training is so important. You have to stay focused and can’t let up.”
Lee coached the boys to the Division I title in 2016 (the Open Division debuted in 2018) and guided the ladies to the Open championship in 2023. She additionally has coached the ladies to 2 seaside volleyball crowns.
El Camino Actual’s (left to proper) Christian Romero, Connor Koski and Jackson Riepe have fun a match level throughout the Metropolis Part Open Division championship match in opposition to Venice on Could 17, 2025.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Occasions)
“The first two times we played Chatsworth I just let the boys play but I game-planned a lot for the semifinals,” Lee stated. “We needed a big guy on the right like Connor to block and get some kills.”
Trailing by 4 factors early within the third set and in peril of being swept, the Gondoliers (36-6) used an 8-0 run to surge into the lead and completed it on Nathan Hoggatt’s emphatic kill. Noah Smith had 10 kills for Venice, final 12 months’s Division I champion.
One thing needed to give as Venice entered on an 11-match successful streak courting again to April 21 (dropping just one set within the course of) whereas El Camino Actual had gained 5 consecutive matches and 15 straight units since April 9.
In Saturday’s Division II closing, hitter Izac Garcia helped Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences take house its first Metropolis title after a 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-15 conquer Mendez, which was looking for its first crown since back-to-back Division III championships in 2021-22.
Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences gamers have fun after defeating Mendez to win the Metropolis Part Division I boys’ volleyball championship Saturday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Occasions)
Hamilton, final 12 months’s Division V champion, moved as much as Division IV and beat Port of LA for the championship. In Division V, Wilson downed Harbor Instructor for its first-ever title.
On the identical ground Friday, top-seeded Taft captured its seventh part crown, sixth in Division I and first since 2015 with its 25-10, 25-20, 25-17 sweep of No. 2 Carson. Arman Mercado, who took over the ladies’ program in 2000 and the boys two years later, coached the ladies to their first Open Division title within the fall and has guided the Toreadors to 22 finals appearances.
East Valley swept Maywood CES for the Division III title — the Falcons’ first in boys volleyball.
Additionally on Friday, Mira Costa outlasted Huntington Seashore in 5 units in a South Bay showdown for the Southern Part Division 1 championship at Cerritos Faculty. The highest-seeded Mustangs prevailed, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 29-31, 15-11, behind 25 kills from Grayson Bradford — the final from the suitable aspect to finish the match.
Mateo Fuerbringer added 17 kills for Mira Costa, which fell in three units to Loyola within the finals final spring. Logan Hutnick led the cost for the second-seeded Oilers, who staved off 4 championship factors in a wild fourth set. It was the Mustangs’ ninth part title and first since 2021.
Mater Dei rallied to beat Peninsula 20-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-19 in Division 2.
