Laguna Beach bounces back

Playing what Coach Lance Stewart termed a “pretty darned-good match,” Laguna Beach’s girls’ volleyball team collected a big road victory Tuesday by defeating Santa Margarita.

The Breakers bounced back from a first-game loss to win a 20-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-21 match between two highly ranked teams.

Laguna is ranked No. 1 in Division II-AA. Santa Margarita was No. 6 in Division I-AA.

“The girls are starting to play together,” Stewart said. “It’s a new group of kids this year, and they’re beginning to understand each other’s boundaries.

“Any time you go into a place like Santa Margarita and win, it’s nice. The girls played with confidence.”

Senior outside hitter Dana Hutchinson’s big performance included 24 kills, 3.5 blocks, 27 digs and three aces.

Piper Obradovich had 10 kills, Laurielle Hofer added nine kills, Paige Obradovich finished with 13 digs, Rebekah Farrar contributed 12 digs and Alex Palmer tallied 41 assists.

Laguna improved to 3-5 overall and evened the all-time series against Santa Margarita at five wins apiece.

The Eagles fell to 9-2 overall.

Previously, Laguna swept Tesoro, 25-20, 25-18, 25-14, in another nonleague match. Piper Obradovich had 16 kills, Kameron Combs added 10 kills, Paige Obradovich had 19 digs, and Palmer finished with 40 assists.

Laguna opens play at 4 p.m. today at the Cougar Classic varsity tournament hosted by Capistrano Valley High.

The Breakers are seeded No. 1 in a Pool 3 grouping that also includes Moorpark, Ramona and Riverside Poly.