After a dominant regular season that resulted in a Channel League title, the San Marcos High boys’ volleyball team was no match for Trinity League champion Santa Margarita in the opening round of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs.
The visiting Eagles excelled in serve receive and repeatedly halted the Royals’ momentum in crucial moments to claim a 25-19, 25-21, 25-20 victory on Wednesday night at the Thunderhut.
“We haven’t seen a team that took care of the details like that,” said San Marcos coach Dave Goss. “In their defense, in their transition game, in their serve receive — they were really an excellent team. We are not ashamed to lose to Santa Margarita. In fact, hats off to them for being the better team tonight.”
The Eagles were led by junior setter Chase Wallin, a Stanford commit who stands at 6’5” and brilliantly orchestrated the offense. Blake Herman, Gavyn Harrison, and Fenton Regan were the primary beneficiaries, feasting on one-on-one opportunities.
Defensively, Wallin was the centerpiece of Santa Margarita’s blocking, which slowed a potent San Marcos attack.
“He not only has great court feel and sense, but he also has a strong work ethic to focus on the details,” said Santa Margarita coach Sinan Tanik of Wallin, who has been selected to play with the U19 United States national team. “He was great coming into our program. We won CIF-SS Division 2 with him as a freshman.”
San Marcos made its biggest push in set two. After falling behind 20-15, the Royals reeled off five consecutive points. A kill by Matteo Burdick cut the deficit to 20-19 and forced a Santa Margarita timeout.
Jamie Hetrick followed with a solo block that evened the set at 20-20. However, the Eagles remained composed and closed the set on a 5-1 run, capped off by a kill from Regan.
In set three, Santa Margarita maintained control throughout and clinched the victory on a block by Wallin and Harrison.
San Marcos finishes the season with a 25-3 overall record. Burdick led the way against Santa Margarita with 12 kills. The Royals have only one senior on their roster and are poised to improve next season.
“Koji Hefner will be really missed, but knowing we have everyone else returning next year is very encouraging,” Goss said. “Our job is to get ready to beat the Santa Margaritas we’re going to face next year.”
Bishop Diego, 3; Rio Hondo Prep, 0
Bishop Diego’s boys’ volleyball team opened the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 playoffs with a decisive straight-set victory over Rio Hondo Prep on Wednesday at the Brick House, marking the program’s first postseason win since 2022.
With the victory, the Cardinals advance to the second round, where they are scheduled to host La Quinta on Friday at 6 p.m.
Head coach Dillan Bennett emphasized the significance of the milestone for his players, noting the team’s determination to approach the match with urgency.
“More than anything, I’m so happy for this group of guys to win a CIF playoff game in their high school careers,” Bennett said. “Our coaches prepared for this match and approached it as if it were our championship game because, between bad breaks and matchups in other sports, this group hasn’t been able to shut the door and get a win.”
Bishop Diego was led by outside hitters John Michael Flint and Damien Krautmann, who each recorded 21 kills in a dominant offensive performance. Tyler Roberts contributed with a strong effort in serve receive and from the service line, while setter Luke Walters effectively directed the team’s offense.
Bennett highlighted the broader impact of the victory on the team’s confidence.
“I’m so happy for John Michael, Damien, Tyler, Ian, Kingston, Nico, Luca, and Tua for getting their first playoff wins tonight,” he said. “The monkey is off everyone’s back, and winning is contagious. We’re going to get right back to work tomorrow to prepare for our next round against La Quinta.”
Dos Pueblos, 3; Aquinas, 2
In another Division 5 matchup, top-seeded Dos Pueblos secured a hard-fought five-set victory over Aquinas on Wednesday at Sovine Gym. The Chargers will travel to face Hemet High in the second round on Friday at 6 p.m. Hemet advanced with a five-set win over Summit High.
The Chargers completed the reverse sweep, 21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-11, 15-13, on Wednesday to continue their playoff run. Junior middles Caleb Damron and Cyrus Jay both recorded double-digit kill totals and were formidable at the net defensively, combining for eight blocks.
“These two have been grinding this year, and tonight their presence was big for us,” said Dos Pueblos coach Ehren Hug of Damron and Jay, who finished with 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
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