Daily Pilot High School Athlete of the Week: CIF finals a habit for CdM’s Moss
Ryan Moss was one of the first Corona del Mar High boys’ volleyball players to approach the net for the final time at Los Angeles Loyola. He wanted to leave the gym that has haunted him and the Sea Kings with one lasting memory.
The best way for Moss to capture the moment was to take a photo with his team right in front of the net. Moss and the Sea Kings were the only ones standing tall after they pulled off a stunning 28-26, 25-22, 28-26 sweep of Loyola in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs on Wednesday.
The result meant the world to Moss, who in his previous three trips to Loyola had lost twice in nonleague action and once in the semifinals. The senior outside hitter made sure CdM got past the Cubs in the semifinals this year, finishing with 14 kills, six digs and two block assists.
But before Moss and the Sea Kings lined up for the picture, someone interrupted them.
“No!” Sea Kings Coach Steve Conti shouted the word nine straight times at his players. “If you want to [take a picture in front of the net], do that Saturday. Trust me. Wait. You know what I’m saying?”
Moss looked back at Conti, and then he and his teammates returned to the bench to continue their celebration. They had a lot to be happy about, as Conti triumphed at Loyola for the first time in six tries, leading CdM to its 11th section final appearance during his 20 years at the helm.
Although Conti can be superstitious at times, Moss agreed with Conti that taking the photo wasn’t the right move. While walking toward Conti, Moss said, “We want the one Saturday.”
Saturday has been CdM’s ultimate goal all along, a chance to play for the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title. The No. 3-seeded Sea Kings (28-6) made it to the finale in the elite division for the first time in 15 years by sweeping every postseason opponent. On Saturday at Cerritos College at 7:30 p.m., they’ll meet the top seed in Division 1.
Moss is quite familiar with two-time-defending section champion Huntington Beach (36-0), which has won 100 matches in a row since 2013. The Sea Kings have been on the losing end four times during the Oilers’ remarkable winning streak, falling once this year, twice last year and once three years ago.
After ending a three-match losing skid to Loyola, Moss has plans to stop CdM’s losing ways against the Oilers.
“We’re going for them next,” said Moss, who is looking forward to seeing the Oilers and many of their players Moss has played against on the club level whenever Moss’ Balboa Bay Volleyball Club team faces the Huntington Beach Club. “It’s an amazing opportunity. We’re just so excited for it. We’ve been playing Huntington for five years [in high school and club]. We’ve lost to them in gold medal matches before [in club]. We know what it feels like and we’re ready.”
Falling down and getting back up is what drove Moss against No. 2 Loyola (29-2), which had beaten CdM twice last month.
Back then, when CdM lost to Loyola in three sets in the final of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions on April 18 and in four sets in a nonleague match at Loyola four days later, Conti knew his team wouldn’t be at its best. Four major pieces on his team, Moss, setter Matt Ctvrtlik, opposite Kevin Fults and outside hitter Sam Kobrine, had only a month with the team. The foursome missed the first month of the season because it played on the CdM boys’ basketball team and the season ran long.
Moss said that season in another sport allowed him and the other three two-sport standouts to experience what it takes to make a championship run. As a center, Moss helped the basketball team reach the CIF Southern Section Division 3A championship game on March 6. Two and a half months later, Moss will be playing for a section championship again.
In basketball, Moss’ team fell short in the final, losing to Beverly Hills, 55-47, at Azusa Pacific University. Moss hopes he can win a section crown in the sport he will play in college.
Saturday won’t be Moss’ last contest with CdM, before the 6-foot-7, 220-pounder heads off to play at USC. Moss, who has totaled 49 kills, 27 digs, seven blocks and three service aces in the postseason, expects the Sea Kings to earn a berth into the CIF Southern California Regional Division II playoffs that start next week.
Last year, when CdM lost a five-set heartbreaker at Loyola in the section semifinals, the Sea Kings qualified for the SoCal Regional and then won it for the second time under Conti.
“It was bittersweet,” Moss said of last season’s finish. “It was weird to lose [to Loyola] and then call yourself a champion [10 days later] because we were in the Division 2 regional. Huntington Beach and Loyola were in the Division 1 regional. You can’t really call yourself a champion until you take out Huntington.”
Twitter: @DCPenaloza
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Ryan Moss
Born: Sept. 4, 1996
Hometown: Laguna Beach
Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 220 pounds
Sport: Volleyball
Year: Senior
Coach: Steve Conti
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite movie: “The Shawshank Redemption”
Favorite athletic moment: Sweeping Los Angeles Loyola in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 boys’ volleyball playoffs this year.
Week in review: Moss has led the Sea Kings to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals against Huntington Beach.