Breakers perfect yet again

The best competition in league for the Laguna Beach High girls’ volleyball team?

Typically, it’s been the Laguna Beach High girls’ volleyball team.

The Breakers have never lost an Orange Coast League match, and they weren’t about to start doing so in the league’s fourth year in 2009.

Laguna Beach capped another undefeated league season “” and a promising regular season in general “” with a 25-8, 25-12, 25-5 win at Costa Mesa Wednesday night.

The Breakers do have their alumni match at 6 tonight. But preparations are now underway for the CIF Southern Section Division I-A playoffs, which begin next week.

The playoff draws will be released Sunday. Laguna Beach (14-9) was No. 5 in the most recent Division I-A coaches’ poll released earlier this week. The top-ranked team in the division is Dos Pueblos, which ended the Breakers’ season in the CIF quarterfinals last year and is No. 8 in the ESPN Girls Volleyball FAB 50 national rankings.

“I think we’re real close,” Laguna Beach Coach Lance Stewart said. “We hope to get hot, and being real close is just a matter of executing a few more plays. It’s making more good plays, not making great plays, just making more good plays. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Senior Paulette Grand Pre had a team-high 12 kills against Costa Mesa, as well as a team-high 16 digs. Junior Chanel Stewart had nine kills, and sophomore middle blocker Caroline Holte had eight.

Sophomore Marina Paul had three service aces.

Laguna Beach has a 44-1 record against Costa Mesa all-time, and the one loss was via forfeit.

Tuesday night, the Breakers did meet their match in a Mira Costa team that’s ranked No. 3 in Division I-AA. Mira Costa won in three in Laguna’s gym, 25-18, 25-20, 25-22, although the Breakers were ahead midway through each of the three games. In Game 1, Laguna took a 13-11 lead on a kill, then an ace from senior Alex Rieckhoff. Mira Costa, undeterred, went on a 12-0 spurt to take a 22-13 lead.

“They’re pretty experienced and pretty powerful, and we were right there,” Lance Stewart said. “A couple of plays here and there, and we’re up two games to one and still playing They’re big and strong and very well-coached, and they’re used to playing big matches.”

Six-foot-3 senior outside Falyn Fonoimoana, who is headed to USC, had many of the big kills for the Mustangs when they needed them most.

Grade Pre had 15 kills to lead Laguna. Sophomore Allison Palmer dished out 25 assists.

The Breakers also swept Estancia, 25-14, 25-6, 25-9, in Monday action. Grand Pre paced Laguna with 12 kills and Rieckhoff had eight.