
By Steve Breazeale
The San Clemente boys volleyball overcame a slow start in their opening round match of the CIF-SS Division 1 Championships on May 13 to defeat Northwood in a 25-17, 25-20, 25-11 three-set sweep.
The Tritons will travel to play Orange Lutheran out of the Trinity League in the second round on May 15.
San Clemente (26-6) came into the playoffs after defeating Capistrano Valley on May 6 and finishing second at the Redondo Classic Tournament on May 3. The match against Northwood was the first time the Tritons took the court in a week, which made it hard to find an early footing, according to head coach Ken Goldstone.
Northwood lost a first-set lead but kept it close, trailing 15-12. A kill and a block by San Clemente’s Brandon Hopper was followed up by a kill and an ace from teammate Peter Van Liefde that put the set out of Northwood’s reach.
The Timberwolves held a four-point lead early in the second set and again, the Tritons came back. The play of junior middle blockers Matt August and Hopper ignited the rally. August recorded back-to-back kills and teamed up with Hopper for an emphatic block that flipped the set and gave San Clemente a 15-12 lead.
August and Hopper finished with five kills each. Hopper led the team with two blocks.
“They’re playing great. Really they’re such a solid part of what we do. Brandon took over the first game blocking and Matt got heated up on offense, which is a bonus. We rely on them to set our defense and they do a good job,” Goldstone said.
The Tritons emptied the bench and breezed their way to a third-set win.
Senior Shawn Stephens led the team with seven kills. Aaron Strange had six and Van Liefde had five. Senior setter Nick Goldstone had 31 assists.
Discussion about this post