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    El Modena boys volleyball falls short in CIF-SS playoff battle with Culver City
    • May 1, 2026

    ORANGE — The season ended for the El Modena boys volleyball team Thursday night with a loss to Culver City, 18-25, 25-21, 25-16, 21-25, 15-10, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 6 playoffs.

    The Vanguards (14-9) were making their first postseason appearance in four years this season. In the opening round Tuesday, they earned their first postseason victory since 2019.

    El Modena coach John Cahill was counting on his middles, Owen Pietsch (seven kills) and Sawyer Van Os (eight kills), to lead the way, and things certainly looked in their favor after they won the opening set.

    “We were able to pass pretty well and get our middles in it,” Cahill said. “And in the second game, they (Culver City) stepped up and started serving a little bit tougher. So it was a little bit harder for us to get our middles going.”

    The Centaurs (20-7) won the second and third sets to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

    Mason Boyd had a match-high 14 kills for Culver City, while Ken Hasegawa added 11 kills and Sterling Gregory chipped in seven kills.

    Culver City sophomores Mason Boyd, left, and Ken Hasegawa helped the Centaurs defeat El Modena in five sets in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 6 playoffs Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by David Delgado)
    Culver City sophomores Mason Boyd, left, and Ken Hasegawa helped the Centaurs defeat El Modena in five sets in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 6 playoffs Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by David Delgado)

    Culver City used a lineup that included five sophomores and only one senior, setter Casey Brennan.

    Centaurs coach Joe Manzo praised junior middle blocker Timothy Cole.

    “One of the key players is number 11, Tim (Cole), because he was able to shut down their number 11 (Pietsch) for a little bit,” Manzo said, “and then we were able to do good with Ken.”

    El Modena regrouped to win the fourth set and force a decisive fifth set.

    The Vanguards experienced a bit of misfortune in the final game.

    “In that fifth game, it was a little unfortunate because they lined up in the wrong rotation, and so their number 3 (Hasegawa), their best hitter, got to go across the front row when he should have been in the back row,” Cahill explained. “Then they found out he was in the wrong service, so then he got to go back to the front row. So he got six quick front-row rotations against us.”

    “That was an unfortunate thing to happen, but we still played them tough. We should have caught it on our bench,” Cahill added.

    “I put him out of rotation. I had a mistake, but it went in our favor, fortunately.” Manzo admitted.

    The Centaurs will play Firebaugh in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

    Cahill reflected on the journey El Modena took this season.

    “Tonight, I think we played hard,” he said. “We made some uncharacteristic mistakes, some silly mistakes. But I mean, we laid it out there. Yeah, I told the guys, you all went hard, you gave me all you had, and you gave me everything. You did your best, and that’s all a coach can ask for.”

     

     Orange County Register 

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