LONG BEACH – From improbable to undeniable, Redondo Union made history Saturday with a 3-2 victory against Bay League rival and two-time CIF-Southern Section Division 1 beach volleyball champion Mira Costa in a thrilling finals showdown at Long Beach City College.
Bella Jones, the only senior competing Saturday for Redondo Union, completed a fairy-tale conclusion to her prep career by receiving a set from junior Kara Namimatsu and burying a cross-court shot with her right arm to cap the comeback at the No. 3 pairing against Mira Costa’s Allyn Hilt and Lily Sprague by a 12-21, 21-14, 15-13 margin, setting off a celebratory dogpile for the Sea Hawks (15-2).
The emotions showcased Saturday offered a sharp contrast for Jones and Namimatsu from the 3-2 semifinal win Thursday for Redondo Union at JSerra.
Jones and Namimatsu relinquished the lead late in the second set against Grace Fogel and Nicole Thorp and endured a 21-17, 25-23 setback.
That outcome forced Redondo Union to rely on a 22-20, 21-23, 15-13 victory at the No. 1 pairing from Abby Zimmerman and Avery Junk against JSerra’s Emma Champagne and Sara Moynihan in order to survive and return to the final, but the challenge was just what the Sea Hawks needed in preparation to face Mira Costa for the third consecutive year in the championship match.
Redondo Union had lost 5-0 against the Mustangs in the 2023 Division 1 final, followed by a 4-1 setback in last year’s championship showdown.
Redondo Union rebounded from back-to-back losses to Mira Costa in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 beach volleyball final to win its first title | Erik Boal photo
After a decade of dominance by Mira Costa (19-2) in both the Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League and CIF-Southern Section competition – which officially started in 2022 – Redondo Union finally prevailed against its rival with a 3-2 victory March 4, snapping the Mustangs’ 170-match winning streak.
Mira Costa rebounded to produce a 5-0 triumph in the March 26 rematch with the Sea Hawks and entered Saturday’s final having won 15 in a row, dropping only one pairing during the impressive run in a 4-1 victory in Tuesday’s quarterfinals against Huntington Beach Edison, which earned its lone point in the No. 5 showdown.
But Redondo Union demonstrated that its memorable victory two months ago only set the stage for an even more exceptional encore performance Saturday, especially with junior Audrey Flanagan returning to the Mira Costa lineup after being sidelined with injury for the majority of the season.
Flanagan teamed with Olga Nikolaeva as the No. 1 pairing last season for Mira Costa.
Anabelle Redaelli, a junior, and Flanagan earned the first point Saturday for the Mustangs at the No. 4 pairing with a 21-11, 21-18 triumph against freshman Makaela Munzon and junior Taylor Boice.
But Avery Junk and Zimmerman delivered an impressive 21-17, 21-14 win for Redondo Union at the No. 1 pairing against Simone Roslon and Nikolaeva to help the Sea Hawks pull even.
Mira Costa grabbed a 2-1 advantage when sophomores Lerin Rosenthal and Sammy Nammack prevailed by a 21-17, 25-23 margin at the No. 5 pairing against sophomore Linnaea Nielsen and junior Kaelyn Hamm.
Redondo Union responded again at the No. 2 pairing, as sophomore Leah Blair and junior Addi Junk secured a 22-20, 21-17 victory against freshman Lucy Matuszak and junior Ruby Cochrane, shifting the focus of the entire stadium to the third set involving Jones and Namimatsu against Hilt and Sprague.
Despite falling behind 12-10 in the deciding set, Jones and Namimatsu used Thursday’s setback as motivation and the pursuit of the championship as inspiration, responding with four consecutive points.
Although Hilt and Sprague were able to fight off one championship point to cut the deficit to 14-13, Jones delivered the most significant shot in Redondo Union beach volleyball history to capture the crown.
Redondo Union players and coaches celebrate capturing the first CIF-Southern Section Division 1 beach volleyball crown in program history | Erik Boal photo
The Mustangs lost for only the second time in 187 official matches showcased in both the IBVL and CIF-Southern Section, both against Redondo Union.
Mira Costa has all 10 athletes who competed Saturday eligible to return next spring, with Redondo Union only losing Jones to graduation, thus making the Bay League rivals the favorites to meet in the Division 1 championship for the fourth consecutive year.