CARMEL — Perhaps the final league game between these two rivals galvanized both volleyball programs, albeit with different mindsets.
Gavilan Division champion Monterey lost its undefeated season when it fell to Carmel in the final game last week. At the same time, it gave the Padres more fuel heading into the postseason.
Carmel and Monterey opened the Division 2 playoffs by dominating their opponents on Tuesday, moving the teams one step closer to a possible rematch in the Central Coast Section Tournament.
The No. 3 seed Toledores, who are having their best season in 14 years, defeated No. 11 seed Del Mar 25-21, 26-24, 25-21 to improve to 11-1 at home. .
Carmel, which ended Monterey's season in the CCS Division II semifinals last year, kicked off its postseason party with a 25-20, 25-23, 25-15 win over No. 5 Palo Alto Gunn.
The fourth-seeded Padres (19-11), who are on a six-game winning streak, will play top-seeded Monta Vista (Cupertino) (17-13) on Thursday, while Monterey (23-12) will face second-seeded They will play against Montavista. Aragon (30-2).
“When we went there for a preseason game, they blew us away,” Monterey coach Dave Swartz said of Aragon. “There's no question they're good. But we're not the same team. We have to find a way to bring our energy to other gyms.”
If the Toledores and Carmel can pull off a minor upset, the two county powerhouses will meet for the third sectional title of the year on Saturday, splitting two head-to-head games in the Gavilan Division.
Monterey 3, Del Mar 0: In what was expected to be a rebuilding year, the Toreadors won their first league title in 14 years.
A taste of the postseason last spring served as a springboard for Monterey in its return this year, reaching the semifinals for the second year in a row.
“The reason we're league champions is because we don't have any stars,” Swartz said. “This was a team effort. It's evenly distributed throughout the season.”
For Monterey, Noah Bigelow had 14 kills and setters Jonathan Companion and Andres Espinoza combined for 45 assists. Duran Lemasters, PK Swartz and Espinoza combined to make 31 digs.
The effort was never so evenly distributed as it was in the second set. The Toledores rallied twice from four-point deficits to win 26-24 and take a 2-0 lead.
“There was more of a fight tonight,” Swartz said. “In that second set, we just pushed back. Once you get a taste of the playoffs, you want more of the playoffs. I wanted us to play with confidence even if we lost. That's who we are. This is the frame that was installed.
Carmel 3, Gan 0: The Padres, last year's Division II sectional finalists, have relied on Sebastien d'Aste, perhaps the county's top player, all season and are riding a wave of emotion.
But D'Aste was battling the flu, and it was unclear whether the Princeton-bound standout would be able to adapt.
“I didn't think he could go more than three sets,” Carmel coach Jim Airola said. “It was urgent for our players to win the third set. We came out really strong. I think we got the first 10 points.”
D'Aste, who is taking a gap year to play in Europe next season, had 17 assists, 17 digs and seven kills for Carmel, which is looking to advance to its second consecutive final.
Gunn is no stranger to the Padres, having defeated them in two sets in a tournament earlier this year.
“I think we’re peaking at the right time,” said Airola, whose son was on the 2018 Carmel CCS title team. “We're coming together as a team. We're getting a lot better.”
Zachary Speakman had seven kills, 13 assists and seven blocks for the Padres, while Nate Campbell and Jacob Burton combined for 12 kills. Nico Vitiello solidified the back row with 11 digs.
“I don't know anything about Monta Vista,” Airola said. “We'll look into it in the next 48 hours. We know they play in a really tough league.”