Laguna Beach Fights Back to Beat Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa had hopes of breaking a 36-match losing streak to Laguna Beach, the third-ranked team in the county, after winning the first game of their Pacific Coast League boys’ volleyball match Wednesday at Costa Mesa High.

But Laguna Beach, defending league champions, rebounded behind Miles McGann and Tyler Reynard, each of whom had 22 kills, to defeat Costa Mesa, 13-15, 15-9, 15-4, 15-1.

Laguna Beach (9-1, 5-0) won 42 of the final 49 points, taking the final two games in a little more than 30 minutes.

“I’m sure our guys are disappointed how it ended,” Costa Mesa Coach Yvette Ybarra said. “Our guys wanted it in the first two games, but in the last two . . . that was the difference.”

In the first game, McGann had 23 assists before Laguna Beach Coach Shawn Patchell moved him from setter to outside hitter. McGann had 19 kills in the final three games.

Noel Puffer added 15 kills and five blocks and setter Shaun MacGillivray, who was benched in the first game for disciplinary reasons, had 41 assists in the final three games.

Costa Mesa’s B.J. Lightvoet had 11 of his 26 kills in the first game and his brother, Tommy, had six in the first game to help the Mustangs (7-3, 3-2) take advantage of seven Laguna Beach hitting errors.

Costa Mesa led, 8-3, in the second game before Laguna Beach responded. Reynard (23 digs), McGann (17 digs) and Spencer Herbert (17 digs) led a defense that frustrated the Mustangs.

And Costa Mesa was having its own problems.

“I was telling our guys they were getting lazy and they just needed to pass the ball,” Ybarra said. “Consistency with our passing has been a problem. When we passed well, we put the ball down.”