Sea Kings, Lightning to hit the road for CIF semis

The Corona del Mar High boys’ volleyball team, the No. 1 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs, will be on the road for the second straight week, this time for a semifinal match at Dos Pueblos of Goleta, it was determined Saturday.

Sage Hill School’s team, one of two squads from the Newport-Mesa area still alive in the playoffs, must also travel because like the Sea Kings, the Lightning lost the coin flip. Sage Hill will play at top-seeded Viewpoint of Calabasas. Both matches are on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Though the Sea Kings are the top seed in CIF Division II, CdM Coach Steve Conti was OK with his team playing on the road again.

“It’s a bummer, but I don’t think it’s unfair,” Conti said. “There’s been years when we’ve gotten lucky. Last year we had to the same thing, [play on the road at Santa Barbara in the CIF semifinals].”

Paul Orris, Corona del Mar’s athletic director, also wasn’t bothered or overly disappointed the Sea Kings will play on the road.

“I always enjoyed being on the road in basketball,” said Orris, a longtime boys’ basketball coach at the school (1987-2001). “I thought that was a special part of being in the CIF playoffs. That kind of brings the team together. It gives time for bonding. We stop and get a bite to eat. As long as you give plenty of time so you’re not rushing, I think it’s a pretty neat deal.

“Everyone is good at this point, so it’s an advantage to be at home, but what the heck? Just go up and beat them at their place.”

If the Sea Kings (31-2) do beat the Chargers, they’ll be headed for their third straight CIF final. Last year, CdM lost to Valencia and in 2005 it swept Valencia to win the Division II title.

Valencia is in the other semifinal playing at Santa Barbara. Corona del Mar has not played against Dos Pueblos this year, but Conti is prepared with background of the Chargers. He has videotape of them from the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions and Dos Pueblos beat Laguna Beach in the quarterfinals Friday to also provide some insight.

Laguna Beach’s first-year coach Zach Miller spent the previous three years as an assistant at CdM. Conti spoke with Miller on Saturday.

Sage Hill (16-7) has not played Viewpoint (28-6) this season. Coach Dan Thomassen’s Lightning will be making their first CIF semifinals appearance since 2004.

“It would have been nice to have one more home match,” Thomassen said. “For us it’s just about getting a little better.”

— Steve Virgen