Laguna Beach girls’ volleyball exits regionals against top-seeded Walnut

WALNUT —  Laguna Beach’s glorious close-of-season run ran into a wall Thursday, as the Breakers, three steps short of their first state final in 18 years, were outclassed in an emotional, three-set loss to a refined foe at its best.

Top-seeded Walnut was relentless in attack and precise when defending as it rolled to a 25-16, 25-21, 25-18 victory in the CIF Southern California Regional Division IV quarterfinals, ending the Breakers’ seven-game winning streak — following a 5-25 start against a blistering nonleague and tournament slate — that crowned with last weekend’s Southern Section Division 7 title triumph.

The Mustangs (20-12), in their first outing since dropping the Southern Section Division 6 final five nights earlier, took charge at the net behind senior outside hitter Caylin Caballero and sophomore middle blocker Nylah Key, repeatedly absorbed Laguna Beach’s attacks, and kept the visitors off-balance with a deceptively nettlesome serve approach.

“They outworked us and they outplayed us, definitely,” Laguna Beach coach Sinan Tanik said. “We had a nice game plan that we weren’t able to execute fully, and they were on their game. ... I can say, for us, they were kind of unstoppable.”

Caballero delivered 15 kills, Key added five kills and two blocks — one while repelling the third hit in succession — and Walnut led all but three serves of the opening set, closed with a 13-4 run, then pulled out a tight second set on a 9-1 tear and cruised through the third after building a seven-point edge.

“I think our energy and the emotion got to us,” said Laguna Beach senior middle blocker Sadie Holmes, who had two kills and three block assists. “We started off a little rough, and I think we all realized this could be our last game together, so we kind of crashed. [Walnut put us] under too much pressure, and we just felt really emotional. It just got to us.”

Tanik contrasted the Mustangs’ experience (“they’re calm, they’re connected, they’ve been playing for years together”) with his group’s inexperience, and on such a big stage.

“This is the first time we are testing these waters ... this is a team we just put together three months ago,” he said. “It’s not an excuse, but it’s a point I made to the girls [afterward]: This is a team in the works. We will be good in a couple years. This team will grow together, they will feel each other better.”

Junior Ivy Bianchi (nine kills) and sophomore Sienna Lee (eight kills) came off the bench to lead the Breakers (12-26), who had a nice run in the second set — they led most of the way, and at 20-16 following a 6-1 run fueled by five of the tandem’s finishes — but couldn’t overcome deficient service and passing. Laguna Beach scored just eight points off 36 serves in the first and third sets — two on 19 in the third — and surrendered 27 points (to 13 by Walnut) on violations or hitting errors.

“Our girls showed up when they needed to,” said Walnut coach Katie Argumosa, whose team will be home for Saturday’s regional semifinal against fourth-seeded Brawley (31-11), the San Diego Section’s Division III champion. “They left everything on that court [defensively], whether they were throwing their bodies, throwing arms, whatever they could do to keep the ball up, and our offense came to play today.

“I was worried coming off a big loss [to Oak Hills in the Division 6 final], what that would do for our girls, and they really showed up for each other.”

Laguna Beach was aiming for a third state title game and fourth regional final appearance. The disappointment is more profound.

“I don’t even think it was the title, of state [champion],” Holmes said. “We’re just such a close team, and we love playing together, and I think just the fact that this is the last year [with the seniors] we’ll all be together is just sad for us. ...

“We’re super proud of ourselves for winning CIF. It was a really exciting season, [how] we stepped it up and realized what we could do, and it was really cool to see.”