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The562's coverage of Avalon Athletics is sponsored by Curtain Maritime.
Avalon boys volleyball's historic playoffs came to a bittersweet end Saturday. The Lancers appeared in their first CIF Southern Championship Game, but were defeated by Ontario Christian 25-12, 25-16 in the Division 7 final. 25-17.
“I'm so proud of these kids,” Avalon coach Carlos Martinez said. “Being able to develop a program that kids believe in and want to get better at and getting to this moment means everything.”
Avalon opened the game by scoring first against a loud and loud support group from Catalina. However, miscues and miscommunication led to easy points being conceded, and tension and nervousness were on full display in the early stages for both teams.
Ontario Christian used home court advantage to provide momentum, reaching 10 points before slowly pulling away. Avalon sophomore Eric Madris continued to lead the Lancers until the Knights' defense scored a run that led to a 25-12 set victory.
In the second set, an early mental error gave Ontario Christian an early lead, but Avalon's Jacob Melo limited the Knights' lead. With Coach Martinez taking a more hands-on, direct leadership approach in the second set, the Lancers found the energy to keep Ontario Christian on their toes. However, the ball couldn't bounce the Lancers far off the block, and the Knights would soon pull away again. Ontario Christian took the second set 25-16.
“We had the ball in our hands, but we weren't ready defensively.” [every play] like [Ontario Christian,” Martinez said.
With their backs against the wall and their crowd on their feet, the Lancers’ came out and looked their best in the third set. Mello found the hot hand early, and Avalon kept feeding it to him. However, the Knights’ offense kept striking Avalon’s defensive gaps. The Lancers would not go down without a fight, as they kept finding ways to score or force Ontario Christian into mistakes. Despite their resilience, Ontario Christian would win the third set and match 25-17 to complete the sweep.
Despite the loss, Martinez is optimistic for the program’s future. Only losing two players to graduation, the Lancers are returning a strong, gritty, and seasoned group.
“The way [the players] We fought all season, made it to the playoffs, got eliminated in the first round last year, came back and made it to the finals,” Martinez said. “I'm so proud of them and can't wait for next year. We'll be back.”
