CdM boys’ volleyball bounces back with win over Upland

Corona del Mar is on a “revenge tour” after its lopsided loss to archrival Newport Harbor in last weekend’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 boys’ volleyball final, so motivation wasn’t an issue as the Sea Kings started their regional playoff run.

Not having their most prominent star, their go-to leader, their intimidating giant at the net? That’s another matter.

News that George Bruening, the 6-foot-9 senior opposite bound for UC Santa Barbara and a slam-dunk, soon-to-be All-CIF selection, had been sidelined by a stress fracture in his left foot prodded supreme efforts from pretty much everybody — and especially junior outside hitters Sterling Foley and Reid McMullen — to send CdM into the Southern California Regional Division I semifinals with a 25-13, 25-21, 25-20 home victory over Upland.

Foley delivered 18 kills (with a .425 hitting percentage) and two blocks, and McMullen had 10 kills (on .500 hitting) and a service ace as second-seeded Corona del Mar (21-9) set up a final-four date Thursday with Los Angeles Loyola (27-2). A win there and the showdown most desired — with national No. 1 Newport Harbor (35-2) — is the likely prize.

“This is big for us,” Foley said. “After getting swept in the final, that’s brutal. Definitely a punch in the face. We want to get back to that final and hopefully play Harbor and beat them. We’re on a revenge tour.”

Loyola, too? The third-seeded Cubs, 25-20, 25-18, 25-21 winners over Scripps Ranch, were the Southern Section’s No. 1 team until Corona del Mar beat them to advance to last weekend’s final, and Foley said he “saw a look on their faces. They are ready for revenge.”

A win there would lead to the Sailors, who won the Regional Division I championship last year and have back-to-back section titles, as long as they beat San Diego Section Open Division champion Cathedral Catholic (23-3) on Thursday. The final will be played Saturday.

The Sea Kings, who have captured four regional titles (one of them in Division I, the last in 2018), were a level too high for Division 2 champion Upland (28-5), which battled gamely in the second and third sets after learning some lessons in the opener.

Foley‘s kills provided seven of the first 18 points and McMullen served an ace and had five kills in a first-set blowout, pacing CdM on a 10-2 run that had the Highlanders reeling.

“It shows [my players] another level,” said Upland coach Scott Robertson. “When you don’t consistently play that level ... that was that first set, that little learning curve. Trying to figure out the speed, figure out the tempos. Once we did that, we were able to battle.”

The Highlanders, led by AJ Contreras (14 kills) and twins Kai and Isaiah Vogel (nine kills each), led much of the second set and some of the third behind strong support — Upland supporters were at least three times CdM’s — before fading late in each as Corona del Mar used superb defense and dominance at the net, with seniors Kai Van Bourgondien and Cade Alcano contributing five kills apiece.

Van Bourgondien was a pivotal link, giving a strong performance after stepping into Bruening’s spot. Bruening had been dealing with the foot injury for some time, but it flared up in the sectional final and again in practice Monday.

“It’s different not having George, but I thought he did a terrific job of being a leader off the court,” CdM coach Katey Thompson said. “Sterling did a phenomenal job. He definitely stepped up in a time that we needed him, and that’s showing a lot of maturity.”

Also in the CIF State Southern California Regional Division I playoffs:

Newport Harbor 3, Tesoro 0: Luca Curci had 16 kills and three aces, as the host Sailors swept the Titans 25-16, 25-19, 25-17 on Tuesday in a regional playoff opener.

Riggs Guy had 13 kills, seven digs, four blocks and two aces for Newport Harbor. Jake Read added 10 kills and three aces.

Tesoro was the runner-up in the CIF Division 2 playoffs, falling to Upland in four sets in the final on Saturday.

Staff writer Andrew Turner contributed to this report.