Mira Costa boys volleyball sweeps Loyola to win second consecutive CIF-SS title

NORWALK — The current Mira Costa boys volleyball team has some traits that coach Greg Snyder hasn’t seen in many teams that have worn the green and gold.

“We don’t give up, and that’s something about this team that I don’t think Costa has had in a long time,” Snyder said. “Mira Costa is not known to be grinders and this team is a bunch of grinders. They just have a mindset to not ever give up.”

Midway through the third set of Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 final against Loyola, the Mustangs were leading the match after winning the first two sets, but they trailed by six in the third set. The way momentum swings in volleyball, the Mustangs appeared destined for at least a fourth set.

Not this team.

Mira Costa rallied all the way back and Mateo Fuerbringer put the exclamation point on the match, recording his 27th kill for the final point in a 25-21, 25-22, 25-22 victory over the Cubs at Cerritos College.

It is the second consecutive CIF-SS title for Mira Costa and the 10th overall in boys volleyball.

“We’ve been working hard all season, especially the last two weeks,” Snyder said. “The coaching staff, everybody has just been devouring film, finding ways to just get points here and there. They knew we always have a chance. We always have a way to get fired. Anyone from the service line can get going, a few blocks here, there, we have different ways to catch up in a match and we showed it.”

Loyola led the third set 17-11. The comeback for Mira Costa (33-2) started with three consecutive points, forcing the Cubs into a timeout.

Out of the break, Loyola’s J.P Wardy connected for a kill for an 18-14 lead. Mira Costa responded with four consecutive points to tie the Cubs at 18-18.

At 19-19, Enzo Barker converted an ace to give the Mustangs their first lead in the set at 20-19.

“We stuck with our game plan,” Fuerbringer said of the comeback. “We stuck with it and then Colby (Graham) had some great serves and got us back in the game.”

It was a team effort that included the work of libero Dane Del Riego, who kept several rallies alive and they always seemed to end on a swing from Fuerbringer.

“He does what he needs to,” Snyder said of Del Riego. “Dane is absolutely awesome. I was kind of thinking he would just be a guy to push my libero for next season because he’s a junior. I had two returning liberos and he had a completely different plan than I did. He just worked hard all season and when he had the chance, he took it and ran.

“He never gives up on defense. He’s always in the right spot. He just seems to fill up the court and be everywhere that you need.”

Last year’s team went on to win the program’s first CIF State championship.

Snyder will get to see if this group can follow the same path.

“These guys just have that grind in them,” Snyder said. “They’re not as polished as last year’s team was, skill-wise, so they have to grind and play a lot harder and get dirty, hit the floor, play relentless defense and connect it from front to back on defense as well, and these guys are doing it all the time.”

Barker and Wyatt Davis had six kills apiece. Jake Newman had 38 assists and Del Riego had 15 digs.

Wardy led Loyola with 13 kills, Rafa Milchan had 12 and Blake Fahlbusch finished with nine.