NORWALK – Kennedy’s boys volleyball team beat Esperanza in four close and entertaining sets, 23-25, 27-25, 25-20, 26-24, in the CIF Southern Section Division 5 championship match Saturday at Cerritos College.
As Fighting Irish senior libero Karl Narshall said afterward, “We survived.”
The athleticism and quality of play from both teams showed the depth of talent of Southern California high school boys volleyball. The match featured explosive kill shots, seemingly impossible digs and sharp serving from both teams.
It is the second boys volleyball championship for the Fighting Irish, who won their other title in 2017.
The Fighting Irish (20-10) continue their season in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs that begin Tuesday. Regional brackets will be released Sunday. Six teams from CIF-SS Division 1 and the champions of Division 2-9 are invited to play in the regional.
Esperanza finished the 19-14.
Kennedy senior opposite hitter Logan Benda had 17 kills. Senior middle blocker Seth Sainz had 15 kills and sophomore outside hitter Kaiden Kim had seven kills.
Jaden Baena had 19 assists and Jason Narike had 16 assists.
Narike scored the match’s final two points with service aces.
Esperanza senior outside hitter had a match-high 22 kills. Senior outside hitter Tyler Lemmon added 16 kills for the Aztecs.
Travis Walker, in his 20th year coaching Kennedy’s boys volleyball team, said his team was close to self-destructing in various matches during the season.
“We knew we’ve had the most talent on the floor any time we’re out there,” Walker said. “It’s just a matter of, ‘Can we get through those three or four errors we’re going to make.’ That’s been our Achilles’ heel all year.”
Esperanza led for much of the first set and won it 25-23.
“If you play a team like Esperanza,” Walker said, “they’re going to take advantage of your errors and they did.”
Kennedy led most of the way in the second set. Esperanza caught up at 25-25 but the Irish won it 27-25.
Kennedy led all the way in the third set, a 25-21 win that ended with one of Sainz’s many high-velocity kills. The fourth set was a great back-and-forth battle, with Narike’s two aces to the back left corner providing the match-winning points.
Narshall said Kennedy has struggled with consistency at times.
“Volleyball is a momentum sport,” said Narshall, who had a team-leading nine digs Saturday. “It’s not all about huge plays and huge aces. It’s all about playing the game, winning the rally.
“We made a lot of errors in that last set, and we barely made it out alive.”
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