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Sports

Volleyball's Junior Talent to Compete In Hermosa Beach

The California Beach Volleyball Association's Junior Hermosa Beach Open is Saturday and Sunday—featuring some local talent, such as Mira Costa's Chris Orenic.

Beach volleyball players again will converge on the sand at the  for another affair—the , featuring some of the area’s top girls and boys players, will be held Saturday and Sunday. Matches begin at 9 a.m. each day.

"It’s a really highly sought after event," said Chris Brown, tournament director. "It’s a real prestigious thing, particularly now with beach volleyball being voted in as an NCAA sport. It’s really gained a lot of support and college recruiters keep their eyes on it and many of the players competing in it. It’s also one of the largest and deepest tournaments in the country."

Players will compete in several age groups, including divisions for under-18, under-16, under-14 and under-12.

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Mira Costa’s Chris Orenic will be among the players competing in the under-18 division. His will partner with Jackson Bantle of Pacific Palisades for a shot at a championship.

"There is going to be some very good competition out there, but Jackson is very good and I’m looking forward to playing with him," Orenic said. "I do like our chances a lot. I can tell we already have some good chemistry, on and off the volleyball court. So that’s a good thing. He’s a very good ball-control player. I think we’ve got a great chance at winning."

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Orenic’s recent championship at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships in Tucson, AZ—in addition to being a member of Costa’s successful program—serve as proof that he knows a bit about winning.

Orenic, who will be a senior at Mira Costa this fall, and his partner Michael Mullahey, a Manhattan Beach resident and senior-to-be at Loyola, won a gold medal in the under-19 division, besting teams from across the country at the USA Volleyball event.

"It was pretty cool," Orenic said. "Plenty of good competition there, but we played very well."

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