Sammy Miller
Staff Writer
For the second straight year, the Mustangs dug up an Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League (IBVL) championship.
The Mustangs had to battle through three difficult teams on Oct. 7 to claim another title. Seniors Bobby Barkley and Dane Johnson, senior Max Cajuste and sophomore Jack Walmer and junior Thomas Kretschmer paired with sophomore Sam Collins comprised the Mustangs’ teams.
“What separated us from the competition was [our] depth,” Kretschmer said.
In the quarterfinals, Costa competed against Santa Monica and defeated the Vikings 2-1. Cajuste and Walmer were focused during the match and played strong defense in order to pull out a win.
“Going into the quarterfinals we knew that we would be playing a strong team,” Walmer said. “We worked very hard in practice to mentally prepare for a battle.”
The Mustangs advanced on to the semifinals and easily defeated South Torrance 3-0. Kretschmer contributed with approximately 10 kills, blocks and smart shots. Collins helped the Mustangs find success with consistent defense throughout.
“The guys were really ready to battle early and I believe that they played their best volleyball of the season in these games,” Coach Avery Drost said.
In the finals, Costa squared off against Loyola. It was a close game due to Loyola’s experience, but the Mustangs battled through adversity to earn a win. Johnson and Barkley played well offensively, leading Costa to a victory.
“I believe that we played well because we played hard and just had fun,” Barkley said. “Winning back to back IBVL championships was definitely my favorite part of my time with the program.”
The defeat of Loyola allowed Costa to achieve the title of IBVL champions. Overall, the Mustangs had a strong defense, smart offense and incredible focus to win, Avery said.
“In the finals [we] got off to a fast start and sustained it really well,” Avery said. “It was an awesome moment for the whole program, and as coaches we were definitely very proud.”
The Mustangs ended their season with a record of 13-1 and accomplished their goal of winning the championship.
“This season was great and my favorite part was going to practices and getting better mentally and physically,” Collins said. “We had so much success this season because we worked very hard at practice.”
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