IRVINE – It was not Beckman’s best match this boys volleyball season.
Not even close, according to the Patriots coach. But it was good enough for them to get by Huntington Beach in five sets, 25-22, 22-25, 25-15, 26-28, 15-11, in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals Tuesday at Beckman High.
Beckman (37-3) will play Loyola in the semifinals Saturday at Loyola High. Top-seeded Loyola (20-2) defeated Redondo in a quarterfinals match Tuesday.
Beckman’s Luke Morrison hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman’s Kamran Vakilian, left, and Jack Graves, center, put up a big block against Huntington Beach hitter William Lawler during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match between the two teams on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman outside hitter Jack Graves tips the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Ben Bray hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Beckman on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman captain Noah Lee digs the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach setter Jake Pazanti gets blocked by two Beckman blockers during Tuesday’s CIF-SS quarterfinal match between the two teams on May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Liam Phinizy hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Beckman on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman outside hitter Jack Graves hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Ben Bray hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Beckman on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman’s Michael Rini hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman’s Michael Rini hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Ben Bray digs the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Beckman on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Michael Rini hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Beckman on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman outside hitter Jack Graves hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Liam Phinizy hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Beckman on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman’s Michael Rini hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s William Lawler hits the ball during the CIF-SS quarterfinal match against Beckman on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach finished with a 19-11 record. The Oilers should be a good team again next season. Several of their top players this season were not seniors, including 6-foot-5 junior outside hitter Liam Phinizy, a ferocious hitter, and sophomore outside hitter Ben Bray and sophomore setter Jake Pazanti.
Beckman, which has not played in a CIF-SS boys volleyball final, was led by senior outside hitter Eli Lee, who had a team high 23 kills. Junior outside hitter Jack Graves, junior setter Ryan Graves, freshman opposite hitter Luke Morrison, junior middle blocker Noah Huang and junior libero Noah Lee all made plays at crucial times.
Beckman had to survive many service errors and other miscues Tuesday.
“That was the worst match we’ve played all year,” said Beckman coach Darin McBain. “The two sets we lost and even the first two sets we won, we played poorly. Our serving was absolutely awful tonight.”
McBain indicated the Patriots might not have been in the best frame of mind for such an important match. But he liked the way they finished against what he said was an outstanding Huntington Beach team.
“For the first time, I saw some nerves from our kids,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see that. But they calmed down and they made the plays when they needed to.”
Ryan Graves, who had a team-high seven blocks, agreed that the team’s mental state was lacking in the early going.
“But I like the way we responded,” Graves said. “We changed our mind set and came together as a team.”
The Patriots had to be strong at the net, given the great kill skills of Phinizy and other Oilers.
“That’s something we’ve been working on,” Ryan Graves said. “That’s something we’ve been working on. They (the Oilers) have two really good hitters and we had to stop them.”
Beckman’s only three losses this season were to Mater Dei. They had defeated Huntington Beach earlier this season in a tournament in March.
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