Wyatt Robb
Staff Writer
In a tight match on Saturday, Mira Costa’s girls beach volleyball team defeated Laguna Beach High School in Santa Monica, earning its fourth straight Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League Playoff Championship.
Earlier that day, the Mustangs defeated Arroyo Grande 3-0 to advance to the semi-finals. The team then swept league rival Santa Monica 3-0, moving on to face Laguna Beach in the finals.
“Usually in tournament play, there are a lot more than three matches,” sophomore Piper Monk-Heidrich said. “It was really nice to have only three because it helped keep all of the players well rested and ready to play in the championship.”
Costa’s first seed team was composed of Monk-Heidrich and senior Emma Smith. The pair lost their first game to Laguna 15-21, but then came back to to win their second game 22-20 and their third 15-3, clinching Costa’s first overall victory.
“Emma and I did a good job of staying calm throughout the whole match, even when we were down in the second game,” Monk-Heidrich said.
The Mustangs second seed team, composed of senior Avery Hazelrigg and junior Rio Frohoff, defeated the Breakers in their first game 22-20. However, by the time the duo began their second game, Costa had already clinched an overall victory with its other two teams.
“My partner and I performed well under pressure,” Hazelrigg said. “By making sure to put the ball away with strong offensive attacks, we were able to tire out the other team.”
Juniors Maddie Micheletti and Alexia Inman made up the third seed team. The team won their first game 21-6 and their second 21-9. With the duo’s sweep, Costa had secured the overall victory against Laguna Beach.
“We played really great defense the entire match,” Micheletti said. “I think that definitely contributed to our ability to win so easily.”
The 14-0 Mustangs finished their season undefeated for the third year in a row. The team is scheduled to compete in the United States High School Beach Championships taking place on June 11 in Huntington Beach, California.
“This season has really been so great,” Micheletti said. “Being able to play with such amazing girls, I could not have asked for a better team and coach.”
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