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    Dana Hills boys volleyball pulls out win over Diamond Ranch in second round of playoffs
    • April 30, 2023

    DANA POINT — The Dana Hills boys volleyball team extended its storybook season by beating Diamond Ranch in five sets in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs.

    Dana Hills (23-13) beat Diamond Ranch 25-11, 17-25, 21-25, 25-21, 16-14 Saturday at Dana Hills High.

    The Dolphins will host Crossroads in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

    Dana Hills wins the 5th set 16-14 to beat Diamond Ranch. Dana will play Crossroads in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. @ocvarsity @SteveFryer @latsondheimer @SouthOCsports @dhhs_athletics pic.twitter.com/FPLv9m8CNa

    — Michael Huntley (@mikehuntley63) April 30, 2023

    Dana Hills was winless in 2021 and 2022 and had a 28-game losing streak before winning a tournament game against Chaparral in late February. This is the Dolphins’ first playoff appearance since 2019.

    “These boys struggled but came to practice every day wanting to work hard,” Dana Hills coach Spencer Andrews said. “When I got hired I said, ‘what do you want out of this year?’ and they said they wanted to get after it. The story here is if you don’t give up and work your butt off, sometimes magic happens.”

    Saturday’s match was full of peaks and valleys for the Dolphins. Dana Hills dominated the first set but did not play well in the next two sets and lost both.

    “Diamond Ranch is a heck of a team with some dynamic players and they are well-coached,” Andrews said. “It was a battle. Ultimately, we took some timeouts and took deep breaths and our boys stayed composed. They are awesome kids.”

    While many teams rely on a pair of strong outside hitters to score, Dana Hills spreads the ball around well and has several players who can hit effectively.

    Andrews credits the team’s setter, Christian Anderson, and the team’s close bond for the balanced play.

    “We have an amazing setter and our team chemistry is off the charts,” Andrews said. “These guys hang out after school everyday. They surf, play beach volleyball and get food together every day. It’s a cliche but it really does feel like a family.”

    The Dana Hills blocking unit, led by Seamus Flynn made it difficult for Diamond Ranch (23-11) to score late. Flynn led the Dolphins in blocks and was fourth on the team in kills.

    The Dolphins have seven players who will play collegiate volleyball next year, but Flynn is the lone player with a Division I scholarship, to Long Island University.

    “He’s an absolute workhorse and is always the first guy in the gym,” Andrews said. “He’s one of my favorite kids to coach and he’s an awesome teammate.”

    Sebastian Naficy and Nick Cespedes led the Dolphins in scoring. Jack Andrew had the lone service ace of the match for the Dolphins.

    Diamond Ranch won the Hacienda League this season and swept Oxford Academy in the first round.

    Dane Santoyo led both teams in kills Saturday and freshman Mario Portillo had back-to-back aces for the Panthers to finish the third set.

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    ​ Orange County Register 

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