That was quick!  If you blinked you might have missed the Moore League’s CIF postseason for 2010, as all four local schools were swept on opening night, with several starters unavailable to play, and a strong crop of opponents in the unbelievably deep CIF Division 1 bracket.  Multiple coaches from the league have spoken to us in the past about dropping divisions, and it looks like there will be some evidence in Tuesday night’s matches to support that request.  The league was defeated by a combined 300-189, with league teams reaching 20 points in just 2 of 12 sets.

Do keep in mind that their competition was unbelievable—two national top-twenty programs, and three CIF Top 10 teams are nothing to sneeze at.  And keep in mind as well that the league was young this year, with Poly, Wilson, and Lakewood all returning half their starters or more.  In other words: chalk this one up to a learning experience!

Edison def. Poly, 25-12, 25-18, 25-18

There were faces of shock on the Poly players and coaches after the Jackrabbits’ loss at home to the Chargers.  The only Long Beach team to get a home game in the first round, the loss was a very sudden end to an historic year for Poly, as they won league for the first time in a decade.  “And this doesn’t take away from that,” said Rabbits coach Vuthy Cheav.

With key starter John La Rusch on the bench with a strained abdomen and Patrick Noble hobbled with a sprained ankle, Poly was simply overmatched by the Chargers, who were taller and more athletic at the net.  “I think we panicked a little,” said Cheav, noting the change in tempo the match required with two starters hurt. 

Tory Darin was all that was advertised for the Chargers, with 19 kills and just two errors; for Poly, Jolon Clark played admirably in his last game in the green and gold, notching eight points.  Clark is one of the few graduating seniors off the league champion squad, as their starting libero (Brenden Togioka) and setter (Garrett Covey) will both be back, along with La Rusch and freshman Johnny Em who gave some quality points to Poly this year.

Santa Barbara def. Wilson 25-18, 25-16, 25-22

Wilson was also down two crucial starters, with Brandon Fuimaono and Erik Reed on the bench, and simply fell out of rhythm.  “We played well and never gave up, but couldn’t manage to play the way we have been lately,” Bruins coach Susan Pescar said after the match.  Wilson had a lead in the third set, but a run of unforced errors at the end of the set cost them a chance to take the frame.  It was a mixed bag all year for the young group, who had three very talented seniors in Fuimaono, setter Cory Leckie, and Jake MacRae, but the Bruins also struggled with consistency, something likely to improve next year with more of the team coming back.

Newport Harbor def. Millikan 25-12, 25-7, 25-17

Rusty Sary and the rest of the Sailors kept Millikan off-balance all night; it was Millikan coach Greg Kautz’s goal at the beginning of the season to make CIF, something most would have scoffed at.  Give credit to the Rams for playing above their heads all year, with just one player who had club experience…but they hadn’t had to face a team as talented or as tall as the Sailors all season (Newport Harbor is a national top-20 team).

Mira Costa def. Lakewood 25-13, 25-16, 25-20

If there was a victory for the league on Tuesday, it may have been Lakewood somewhat hanging with the nation’s second-best program, a Mira Costa team that more closely resembles a D-1 college team than a high school varsity squad.  The Moore League’s at-large bid, the Lancers certainly held their own against a team that has a shot to win its fifth national championship in 25 years.