Loyola Deals Out Aces for Seventh Title

C.J. Schellenberg, at 6 feet 7, is intimidating anywhere on the volleyball court. But when he sprints to the service line and bounds into the air, he can make even the most seasoned player wince.

That’s what happened midway through the Southern Section Division I championship Saturday night at Cypress College. Schellenberg put down three consecutive aces midway through the third game and turned the tide for Los Angeles Loyola in a 25-18, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22 victory over Westlake Village Westlake.

The victory marked the seventh boys’ volleyball title for Loyola, matching Santa Ynez for the most among section schools.

Coach Mike Boehle said he had asked Schellenberg to lay off his jump serve during the playoffs, but Schellenberg asked permission before the match. “He said he was feeling it,” Boehle said.

Loyola (22-2), seeded fourth, took the first two-point lead in the third game when Matt Hillier hammered two consecutive kills for an 11-9 edge.

Schellenberg’s aces and a hitting error by the second-seeded Warriors (25-2) gave Loyola a 15-9 lead. Hillier then provided game point with his fifth kill of the game and Jeff Sauce and Matt Thobe won it with a block against Joey Zuziak.

The Cubs got another key ace from Andy McGuire in the fourth game, which ended a 21-21 tie. Loyola reached game point on a hitting error and center-line violation before Schellenberg ended the match with his team-high 14th kill.

Chris Dehner had 16 kills, Matt Schneider had 15 and Travis Foltz had 46 assists for Westlake, which was making its first finals appearance.

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In other title matches:

Lakewood Mayfair d. Brentwood, 25-17, 21-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-11 -- Brentwood fought back from a slow start to move within a game of its second section championship in three years, but the top-seeded Monsoons played better down the stretch in the Division IV final to win their first title.

Second-seeded Brentwood took a 9-8 lead in the fifth game on Matt Rapore’s kill, but a hitting error, a middle-line violation and a mistimed short set gave the Monsoons (25-3) three consecutive points.

After Ilan Goldstein scored on a kill for Brentwood (16-2), the Eagles hit another spike out of bounds and then were called for a net violation, giving Mayfair a 13-10 lead. Manu Mafi, a 6-3 senior outside hitter, scored the final two points on kills.

Matt Ceran, a 6-7 senior outside hitter for Brentwood, finished with a game-high 21 kills.

Dan Arritt

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Costa Mesa Estancia def. Orange Lutheran, 25-15, 25-20, 20-25, 26-24 -- Senior outside hitter Kris Hartwell had 13 kills and 10 digs and senior middle blocker Scott Sankey had 12 kills to lead the Eagles (28-6) in Division III.

Top-seeded Estancia also received 10 kills by senior opposite hitter Josh Kornegay and 38 assists from junior setter Trevor Holmes.

Orange Lutheran (16-3) won the third game behind junior outside hitter Travis Pinick, who had three kills in the game and finished with 10 in the match. Scott Nickerson and Chris Frey each had eight kills for the unseeded Lancers.

Estancia, which advanced to the semifinals last season and was making its first finals appearance since its runner-up finish in 1984, clinched the victory with four kills each in the fourth game by Sankey and outside hitter Brad Larsen, who also had 11 digs and two aces.

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Los Angeles Windward def. Pasadena Poly, 25-19, 25-20, 25-20 -- Senior middle blocker Greg Newman had three kills and two blocks in the last game and the second-seeded Wildcats (21-3) held off a late comeback attempt by Pasadena Poly (22-1) to win their first title in the Division V final.

Top-seeded Pasadena Poly trailed throughout the match but cut the deficit to 19-17 in the third game before Windward won six of the last nine points, closing out with a kill by senior setter Danny Fujikawa.

--Lauren Peterson