Andrew Fasano
Staff Writer
Mira Costa’s boys volleyball team defeated Santa Margarita High School 3-2 at home on Tuesday in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs. The Mustangs were boosted by junior outside hitter Max Cajuste.
The Mustangs suffered two early losses in games one and two, losing each set 25-16. A late rally in the third set gave the Mustangs a 25-23 win, setting them up to stage a comeback from losing the first two games, winning the fourth set 25-18 and the fifth 16-14.
“We fought really hard the entire game and never let up,” Cajuste said. “It is always tough mentally and physically to go into a fifth set, but fortunately enough we were able outcompete them in the final stages of the match.”
The Mustangs, now 22-9 overall will play the winner of Dana Point and Newport Harbor High Schools at an undetermined location on Thursday. Cajuste says it was an average performance and the team has some things to work on in preparation for the next round.
“We were fortunate to come away with a win today,” Cajuste said. “It wasn’t our best performance however. Just goes to show that we have some things we will need to work on by the time of our next playoff game later this week.”
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