Mira Costa looks to win first CIF-SS title since 2007
The opponent is different but the location is the same for the Mira Costa girls volleyball team.
For the second consecutive season the Mustangs have advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final at Cerritos College.
The Mustangs were swept by Sierra Canyon in the final last season.
Mira Costa (38-2) will attempt to improve on last season's ending on Saturday, when it faces Mater Dei in the final (7 p.m., Bally Sports SoCal). A win would give Mira Costa its first CIFSS
title since 2007.
“We got there last year and it didn't happen,” Mira Costa coach Cam Green said. “We know why, the girls understand it. The moment was bigger than what they were prepared for and we have looked at things differently.
“We want to keep it business as usual, stay in that zone. We're trying to get better each day and improve on the stuff we do. We will have a plan and we will go out and play.”
Standing in Mira Costa's way are the Monarchs (382), the No. 1 seed in the division.
The teams met twice during
Libero Taylor Deckert and Mira Costa take on Mater Dei for the Div. 1 title Saturday.
the regular season. Mira Costa swept Mater Dei 2521, 25-21, 25-19 in the first meeting Aug. 29. They met again in the final of the Durango Fall Classic (Sept. 23) and the Monarchs won, 1825, 25-20, 25-21.
Isabel Clark led the Monarchs with 14 kills in the final, but a moment toward the end of the first game is what Green said was a key.
“We served them tough and we crushed them. And toward the end of the first set, he took out all six players at one time. I don't think I've seen that before,” Green said.
“We gave up four, five points, but I think that changed things mentally for us. In the second and third sets, we still served well but they passed perfectly and with girls that physical, it was really tough to stop.
“The purpose was to disrupt us and it worked. It was strategic. That's why it's so fun to coach against (Mater Dei's Dan O'Dell). We try to counteract each other with moves that sometimes people wouldn't know.”
Both teams won their respective pools to advance to the final. Mater Dei swept Palos Verdes, Marymount and Sierra Canyon to win Pool A. Mira Costa swept Los Alamitos, Alemany and Huntington Beach to win Pool B, setting the stage for Saturday's clash.
“The most important thing for us to understand is that this is volleyball and we're good at it,” Green said. “If you play your game and do your job right, the result will take care of itself.
“Going into this year, we've had a handful of girls who have won national championships in club (SCVC) and our setter (Charlie Fuerbringer) is literally a world champion (winning the FIVB World Championship with USA Volleyball U-19),” Green said.
“They've all been in big matches and become champions and they know they can do it.”