COSTA MESA >> Competition amongst buddies may be an intriguing but troublesome activity to deal with.
In a battle that pitted two colleagues, Tesoro’s boys volleyball coach Pat Eaton and Servite coach Matt Marrujo, and their respective packages in opposition to one another, it was the Titans who got here out on prime.
Tesoro beat the top-seeded Friars in 5 units, 23-25, 26-24, 25-23, 20-25, 15-8, Friday night time at Orange Coast College within the CIF-SS Division 2 remaining.
Tesoro’s Emmanuel Wandji, left, and Rex Smith, proper, have a good time as they’re mobbed by followers after successful the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship over Servite in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Kaumana Carreira, heart, celebrates the Titans successful the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in opposition to Servite in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite’s Riley Rosenkranz, proper, rejects a shot by Tesoro’s Nathan Draper, left, within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite’s Josef Mitts, proper, faucets the ball over Tesoro’s Jase Fukushima, left, within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Kaumana Carreira, heart, yells out after scoring a degree in opposition to Servite within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Rex Smith dives to dig out the ball in opposition to Servite within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite’s Jack Morikawa, heart, will get a shot previous Tesoro’s Kaumana Carreira, left, and Emmanuel Wandji, proper, within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite’s Christian Aguilar, left, and Josef Mitts, heart, can’t block a shot by Tesoro’s Kaumana Carreira, proper, within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Kaumana Carreira is ready to bump the ball again over the online in opposition to Servite within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite’s Kevin Windisch, proper, will get his workforce pumped up as he celebrates a scoring shot in opposition to Tesoro within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro gamers react after their teammates scored in opposition to Servite within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Dylan Patton (17) begins celebrating with teammates after the Titans gained the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship over Servite in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Dylan Patton jumps for pleasure after the Titans gained the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in opposition to Servite in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite’s Kevin Windisch, proper, steps in entrance of Josef Mitts (2) to take a serve from Tesoro within the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball championship in Costa Mesa on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
The longtime buddies and fellow membership coaches for the Balboa Bay Volleyball membership have been each their making their first look in a CIF championship match.
“It’s all love,” Eaton mentioned. “I’m lucky to get to work with Matt (Marrujo), he’s such a good example of sportsmanship and fight for his guys, so there’s no surprise that his boys play with that same type of fire and toughness.”
“You love coaching against your buddies,” Eaton added, “but at the same time you hate knowing that only one of you is going to win. It just happened to be us this year.”
Sophomore exterior hitter Kaumana Carreira led the Titans with 26 kills and junior reverse Nathan Draper had 13 kills.
“Sometimes it’s good to be young in these situations,” Eaton mentioned about Carreira. “Sometimes he’s swimming in deeper waters than I think he knows, but he’s such a special player, he can do things that you really can’t teach in a gym, and when we’ve needed him most he’s stepped up for us.”
The Friars (28-11) trailed within the first set 20-16 however went on a momentum-snatching run to take the set 25-23 due to stable work from Eamon Rigdon and Jack Morikawa.
Tesoro (19-7) countered with massive performs from center blockers Emmanuel Wandji and Dylan Patton within the subsequent two units, and each units ended with back-to-back kills from Carreira that gave the Titans a 2-1 lead.
Servite would go on to power a fifth set however Tesoro was capable of make the required performs to shut out the match.
“Tesoro is a first-class program, they’re well coached and we knew it was gonna be a battle,” Marrujo mentioned. “And while it stings, I know we played our hearts out and we played great volleyball.”
Eaton’s respect for Marrujo and the Friars saved him on edge till the ultimate level of the match.
“We knew they would keep coming, we knew that from playing Servite last year. Matt Marrujo does such a great job with his guys, they’re so tough and they just never quit,” Eaton mentioned. “If you talk about culture, Servite has such a great culture, we’re trying to get to that point, but just to fight on the court with them like that was special and we did a pretty good job of that.”
