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    Long Beach Poly boys volleyball advances to D3 semifinals with win over Fountain Valley
    • May 2, 2024

    LONG BEACH — The Long Beach Poly boys volleyball team is peaking at the right time and senior outside hitter Lucky Iosua is central to the team’s success.

    Iosua had a game-high 23 kills in Poly’s four-set win at home against Fountain Valley, 25-18, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20, in the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 quarterfinals Wednesday.

    Junior middle blocker KJ Hill added 12 kills, including a highlight kill he sent through a defender to go up 22-20 late in the second set. Junior setter Ryder Tualo had 58 assists.

    Long Beach Poly’s Matt Tsao and John Hively go up for the block as they take on Fountain Valley in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Long Beach Poly’s KJ Hill celebrates a big play as they lead Fountain Valley in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Fountain Valleys Bennett Heydorn tries to hit the ball past Long Beach Poly’s Matt Tsao and John Hively in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    The Poly crowd goes crazy as they lead Fountain Valley in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Long Beach Poly’s Lucky Iosua hits the ball down over to Fountain Valleys side in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Long Beach Poly’s Jackson Trunnelle tires to hit the ball past Fountain Valley’s Thomas Ho and Billy Watkins in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Fountain Valley’s Gavin Hang tries to hit the ball past Long Beach Poly’s KJ Hill and Lucky Iosua in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Long Beach Poly’s John Hively tries to hit the ball past Fountain Valley’s Alec Pineduan and Billy Watkins in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Long Beach Poly’s Lucky Iosua looks to hit the ball past Fountain Valley’s Bryant Jennson and Billy Watkins in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Fountain Valley’s Arion Wang jumps in celebration as they take one set from Long Beach Poly in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Long Beach Poly gets ready to take on Fountain Valley in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Fountain Valley’s Bryant Jennson set the ball up as they take on Long Beach Poly in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Long Beach Poly’s John Hively blocks the ball from Fountain Valley’s Bryant Jennson in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Fountain Valley’s Thomas Ho hits the ball past Poly’s Matt Tsao and John Hively in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Long Beach Poly’s Alii Oglesby returns the serve as they Jackrabbits take on Fountain Valley in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Fountain Valley’s Thomas Ho hits it past Poly’s John Hively and Matt Tsao in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Fountain Valley players celebrate a big play as they take on Long Beach Poly in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

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    The Jackrabbits (23-11) finished second in the Moore League but have since won three straight playoff games to clinch a spot in the D3 semifinals Saturday at St. Margaret’s.

    “It means a lot to me to be honest,” Iosua said. “A lot of guys coming in, new players, all looking at me to lead the way and I just came to lead the way.”

    “Our team captain Lucky, he’s a four-year starter, four year outside hitter,” Poly coach Sid Davidson said. “He did his thing and he’s team captain for a reason.”

    Iosua credited the Poly’s home-court advantage for being an extra edge that inspired his team to pull out the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-21, against the Barons.

    “The environment really,” Iosua continued. “Our parents, our bench, just being in our own school was really important.”

    The Long Beach Poly crowd goes crazy as they lead Fountain Valley in the CIF-SS boys volleyball D3 quarterfinals in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

    Fountain Valley (23-6), the Wave League co-champions, were led by senior outside hitter Thomas Ho and sophomore middle hitter Billy Watkins.

    The Barons trailed 2-0 but jumped out to a 9-5 lead early in the third and eventually won it 25-21 behind Ho’s inspired play.

    “The first set we struggled to be consistent,” Foutain Valley coach Rebecca Cheltenham said. “That’s something we’ve been putting a lot of time into and that was our biggest focus.

    “(Poly) had some big hitters but we just weren’t consistent at hitting, at serving and then going into that third set, they started to play for each other and wanting it together. The nerves kind of went out and they just worked for it.”

    However, Poly regrouped and took an 8-3 lead early in the fourth set.

    “I told them to move on to the next play and if you want to go on, we have to finish it out right,” Iosua recalled.

    Fountain Valley settled in and cut Poly’s lead to 10-8 nearing the midway point in the fourth set. The Jackrabbits responded and rattled off several points and took a 14-10 lead midway through the fourth. Poly led 21-17 late in the fourth before closing out the match with a 25-20 win in the fourth set.

    “I felt this was the best playoff game by far… it was something of a goal that we had at the beginning of the year,” Davidson continued. “Unfortunately, we didn’t win league so I said the next best thing is going to be CIF so we had to make sure we got a good seed, make sure that we grind it out and we had to work hard in practice.”

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