St. Margaret’s Episcopal wins the CIF Division 3 Volleyball Championships against San Clemente at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Margaret’s celebrates winning the CIF-SS Division 3 boys volleyball championship against San Clemente at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
NORWALK – St. Margaret’s swept San Clemente in three sets, 25-22, 25-22, 25-20, Saturday in the Division 3 final at Cerritos College to win another CIF Southern Section boys volleyball championship.
The Tartans won the Division 4 title in 2022, and lost to El Segundo in the Division 3 final last year. They have won four boys volleyball titles overall.
St. Margaret’s 6-foot-7 outside hitter Reed Wainwright had 22 kills that were distributed evenly over the three sets – seven in the first set, six in the second set and nine in the third set.
San Clemente players brace to block a shot against St. Margaret’s during the CIF-SS Division 3 boys volleyball championship at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. St. Margaret’s won the title. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Margaret’s Aidan McMahon (5) keeps his team pumped during the CIF Division 3 Volleyball Championships against San Clemente at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. St. Margaret’s won the title. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
San Clemente’s Cayden McInnes (18) tries to get his shot over St. Margaret’s Beckett Harvey (10 ) during the CIF-SS Division 3 volleyball championship at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. St. Margaret’s won the title. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Margaret’s Aidan McMahon (5) sets up the shot against San Clemente during the CIF Division 3 Volleyball Championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. St. Margaret’s won the title. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
San Clemente’s Kai Schmitt (24) sends the ball while St. Margaret’s players try to block his shot during the CIF-SS Division 3 boys volleyball championship at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. St. Margaret’s won the title. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A dejected San Clemente’s bench watches as St. Margaret’s leads during the CIF Division 3 Volleyball Championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. St. Margaret’s won the title. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
San Clemente’s Will Whidden (23) goes up for the block against Reed Wainwright (17) of St. Margaret’s Episcopal during the CIF Division 3 Volleyball Championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. St. Margaret’s won the title. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Margaret’s Episcopal wins the CIF Division 3 Volleyball Championships against San Clemente at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Margaret’s wins the CIF-SS Division 3 boys volleyball championship against San Clemente at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Margaret’s Aidan McMahon (5) sets up the shot while San Clemente’s Kai Schmitt gets (24) gets ready during the CIF-SS Division 3 boys volleyball championship at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. St. Margaret’s won the title. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
San Clemente’s Will Whidden (23) goes up for the block against Reed Wainwright (17) of St. Margaret’s Episcopal during the CIF Division 3 Volleyball Championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. St. Margaret’s won the title. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Margaret’s Episcopal celebrates theirCIF Division 3 Volleyball Championships victory against San Clemente at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Margaret’s wins the CIF-SS Division 3 boys volleyball championship against San Clemente at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Margaret’s Episcopal wins the CIF Division 3 Volleyball Championships against San Clemente at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
San Clemente (28-7) and St. Margaret’s (32-4) advance to play in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs that begin Tuesday. The regional brackets will be released Sunday.
St. Margaret’s has a 16-match winning streak and didn’t drop a set in its five CIF-SS playoff matches.
It took an all-around effort for the Tartans to beat San Clemente, which had won 13 in a row going into the match. Beckett Harvey, a 6-5 middle blocker, junior outside hitter Luke Balint and junior setter Aidan McMahon were among the major contributors Saturday.
“That was a pretty good team win,” said St. Margaret’s coach Bob Yoder, who played volleyball at San Clemente in the 1970s. “We felt that if we could put some pressure on (San Clemente) that we’d have a chance.”
St. Margaret’s was under some pressure late in the second set.
San Clemente, led by senior outside hitter Kai Schmitt and senior middle blocker Will Whidden, had a 20-16 lead. The Tartans then went on a 7-1 run that featured three of Wainwright’s powerful spikes to take a 23-21 lead over the Eagles.
“That put the pressure on them,” said Wainwright who, like Schmitt, signed with Stanford.
St. Margaret’s went on to the second set 25-22.
The Tartans fell behind in the third set, too. They trailed 8-5 before another run fueled by a couple of Wainwright kills and a kill and ace by Balint before taking the third set 25-20 to complete the sweep.
Yoder said his players’ experience in previous finals was helpful.
“They’ve been in the finals three years in a row,” he said. “We won it two years ago. I think we played comfortably.”
Wainwright said the Tartans have been peaking in recent weeks.
“We definitely have been rising every match in the playoffs,” he said.
