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Sports

Rematch: Mira Costa-Redondo Volleyball

Plus, Redondo Union High School Coach Tom Borgia and his girls lacrosse team are a dynasty in the Bay League.

The anticipated showdown between Mira Costa and Redondo Union high schools Tuesday at Redondo will determine this season’s Bay League champ in boys volleyball.

Though the Mustangs (21-1, 6-0) have been almost unbeatable and remain one of the top teams in Division I (they’re the No. 2 seed behind Santa Margarita), the Sea Hawks (20-5, 5-1) have a quiet confidence. 

Redondo Union Coach Duncan Avery said his club, the division’s No. 6 seed, has its work cut out. 

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“Costa is playing some unbelievable ball,” Avery said. “We have to play a perfect match to beat them.” 

They weren’t close to that when the two teams met on April 14 at Mira Costa, where the Mustangs earned a sweep, 25-21, 25-15, 25-20. 

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Avery didn’t want to make excuses, but… “we hadn’t competed in 14 days the first time we played,” he said. “Unfortunately, our guys were rusty and Costa was in a rhythm. That 14-day layoff really killed us. We were fairly close, but not where we wanted to be. In every match, serving and passing are the keys. We missed a ton of serves—we missed 17—so we need to execute our serves and pass the ball better. I think we’ll be OK.” 

Mike Ninnis, Mira Costa head coach, expects a stiff challenge. 

“We played well against them at our place, but I know they’re going to be tougher at theirs,” Ninnis said. “They will be motivated. If they win, they’ll share the Bay League championship. I’m sure they will be gunning for us.” 

Both teams will be sharpening their skills during this weekend’s Redondo Tournament, which is being played at Redondo, Mira Costa, Torrance and West Torrance. Some of the top teams in Southern California, including some from San Diego, are competing in the event. 

Redondo Lacrosse

The Redondo Union Sea Hawks captured their third straight league title this week with an 18-5 victory over Palos Verdes in girls lacrosse. Tom Borgia, Redondo's coach, has acknowledged the season as "a great run."

“We have a great group of girls,” he said.

The win Wednesday was Redondo’s 24th in a row and marked the second straight season the team has gone undefeated in league.

In the past three seasons, Redondo is a spectacular 33-1. Its lone loss occurred against Mira Costa in the regular season finale in 2009, when the Sea Hawks had already clinched the league crown.

They have been a picture of perfection since—and balance has been a major reason this season. The Sea Hawks have a talented core of players that fuel their high-octane offense. 

“Any given night, I’ve got four or five girls who can score four or five goals,” Borgia said. “We’re very athletic and we can run and gun.” 

The top guns include senior midfielders Julia Denney and Allison Field, both four-year starters. Denney leads the team with 56 goals and 17 assists, while Field has 45 goals and 13 assists. 

Junior Micayla Kotzbach, who plays an attack position, finished the regular season with 35 goals and 12 assists. Junior midfielder Brittany Ross scored 29 goals. 

Defensively, senior Ava Elsner has been the catalyst along with senior attacker Bailey Czech. Sophomore Heather Czech, Bailey’s sister, is the goalkeeper. A two-year starter, Czech is one of the area’s best, Borgia said. 

“She’s never lost a Bay League game,” he said. “She’s one tough customer, too.” 

The Sea Hawks (17-2 overall), whose only losses have been to Orange County powers Mission Viejo and Beckman, now look to be tough on the opposition in the CIF playoffs. The brackets are scheduled to be released Sunday. 

Last season, Redondo had an outstanding run before falling in the title game to highly regarded Los Alamitos. With last year’s experience, nothing short of a title is good enough for Borgia and his bunch. 

“To come back this year and play as well as we’ve played has been great,” Borgia said. “We lost a lot of great players last year, but we’ve still really maintained a high level of play... We’re looking forward to the playoffs. It will be another good challenge for us.” 

Softball Showdown

A huge softball contest between the Panthers and Mustangs in the Bay League race is Friday. Peninsula (8-11 overall, 5-0 in league) continues to be the story so far, staying unbeaten after a 4-0 decision over Redondo on Wednesday.

Meanwhile Mira Costa, Redondo and Palos Verdes are tied for second at 3-2, so the contest is a must-win for the Mustangs if they expect to contend for the title. 

Peninsula has made a major turnaround around since stumbling to a rough nonleague start, losing 11 of 13 before winning its last six, five in league. 

Mira Costa, which is ranked No. 9 in the CIF’s Division III rankings (Peninsula is unranked), is coming off a 2-0 loss to Palos Verdes on Wednesday after hammering Redondo, 16-4, last Friday. Game time is 3:15 p.m.

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