NORWALK – Grayson Bradford didn’t have to deal with the same heartbreak experienced by his Mira Costa High boys volleyball teammates in last year’s CIF-Southern Section Division 1 final.
Bradford, a Crespi High transfer, was highly motivated to not only help the Mustangs leave the Cerritos College gymnasium Friday night with the championship plaque, but the UCLA-bound senior made sure of it by delivering his match-high 25th kill to finally put away Huntington Beach in a thrilling five-set battle.
Bradford, a 6-foot-11 right-side hitter, had four kills in the deciding set and lifted top-seed Mira Costa to a 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 29-31, 15-11 victory against the second-seeded Oilers to capture the Mustangs’ first Division 1 crown since 2021 and the ninth overall title in program history.
It marked the first time the Division 1 final was extended to five sets since Newport Harbor prevailed against Loyola in 2022.
Mira Costa (33-2), which was swept by Loyola in last year’s Division 1 championship match at Cerritos College, improved to 4-2 all-time in section finals that were decided in five sets.
Mira Costa celebrates winning first CIF-Southern Section Division 1 boys volleyball title since 2021 | Erik Boal photo
The Mustangs held off Estancia in 1984 in five sets, then lost to Newport Harbor in 1987 and Esperanza in 2007 in deciding sets, before rebounding to outlast Newport Harbor in 2008 and Loyola in 2012 in five-set showdowns.
Huntington Beach (34-4) had won three championship matches in five sets – defeating Capistrano Valley in 1993, Loyola in 2013 and Corona del Mar in 2015 – before losing in the Division 2 final in 2021 against Santa Barbara in a deciding set and again Friday against Mira Costa.
The Oilers, who were seeking their first section crown since 2015, were unable to protect a 12-7 lead in the fourth set and had to fight off four championship points to extend the match.
Huntington Beach reached its first CIF-Southern Section Division 1 boys volleyball final since 2015 | Erik Boal photo
Bradford helped Mira Costa overcome a 24-23 deficit with back-to-back kills to secure the first championship point opportunity, but Mira Costa committed one of its 21 service errors, allowing Huntington Beach to tie the score.
The Mustangs followed with a hitting error, giving Huntington Beach another chance to close it out with a 26-25 advantage, but senior middle blocker Alex Heins – a New Jersey Institute of Technology commit – buried a quick attack in the middle and Grand Canyon signee Thatcher Fahlbusch recorded a solo block to set up a second championship point scenario for Mira Costa.
Benjamin Arguello tied the score again for the Oilers, before junior middle blocker Wyatt Davis helped the Mustangs regain the lead at 28-27.
Colin Choi ended a long rally with a well-placed shot down the line to help the Oilers pull even once more, but Davis blocked a Huntington Beach middle attack for a 29-28 advantage and a fourth opportunity to secure the victory for Mira Costa.
Nicholas Ganier, Jr., Kailan Gan and Choi responded with three consecutive kills for the Oilers, who extended Mira Costa to a fifth set for only the second time this season.
The top-ranked Mustangs, who suffered a five-set loss April 5 against Marist High from Illinois – the No. 2 team in the country – in the final of the Karch Kiraly Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara, scored four unanswered points in the deciding set to add to an 8-7 lead Friday against third-ranked Huntington Beach.
Andrew Chapin, a USC-bound senior setter, had 57 assists and 12 digs, in addition to three kills and three blocks for the Mustangs.
Chapin relied significantly on Bradford, Heins and Davis in the fifth, with the trio accounting for seven of Mira Costa’s nine kills in the deciding set. Fahlbusch and Chapin were responsible for the others.
The Mustangs committed only one hitting error in the fifth, in comparison to five for the Oilers, who had 61 kills, but were victimized by 28 attacking miscues in the contest. Mira Costa had 18 hitting errors and 69 kills overall.
Huntington Beach summoned one more rally by fighting off three more championship points facing a 14-8 deficit behind kills from sophomore Logan Hutnick and Arguello, in addition to a block by Kaegan Ramdhani.
Bradford, who had eight kills in the second set and added six more in the fourth, finally ended the suspense just past the two-hour mark on his 44th attempt of the match by placing a cross-court shot deep in the left corner to set off the long-awaited celebration for Mira Costa and head coach Greg Snyder.
Mira Costa principal Dr. Jennifer Huynh and boys volleyball head coach Greg Snyder celebrate the ninth CIF-Southern Section championship in program history | Erik Boal photo
Bradford also contributed nine digs and nine blocks for Mira Costa, which surrendered the opening point of the match, but never trailed again in the first set, and ran off four consecutive points at the outset of the third, never relinquishing control.
Mateo Fuerbringer had 17 kills, five blocks, four digs, three assists and two aces for Mira Costa, with Heins contributing nine kills and nine blocks, Fahlbusch achieving nine kills, five digs, three blocks and three assists, Davis adding six kills and six blocks, in addition to junior libero Justin Wariner recording 14 digs.
Mira Costa improved to 4-2 in program history in CIF-Southern Section boys volleyball five-set finals | Erik Boal photo
Huntington Beach built a 7-0 lead in the second set and held on to even the match, despite a late surge from the Mustangs.
Hutnick led the Oilers with 22 kills and 13 digs, Arguello had 13 kills and three digs, Ganier added 12 kills, Gan recorded 53 assists, Choi contributed nine kills and 10 digs, Justin Bulsombut achieved four kills and six blocks, with senior libero Aiden Atencio collecting 11 digs.
The Mustangs also prevailed by a 25-23, 25-23 margin Feb. 22 against Huntington Beach in the final of the Mira Costa/Redondo Tournament, with the programs meeting for the first time in a section championship match.
There could be a potential third showdown in the Division 1 regional playoffs of the upcoming state tournament, which concludes May 31 at Fresno City College. Regional pairings are scheduled to be released Sunday, with the state playoffs beginning Tuesday.