Lancers finally have final word

SAN DIEGO - If asking when was the last time Carlsbad High's boys volleyball team won a tournament title prior to Saturday, the answer was very simple.

"Never," said Lancers coach Tobin Knudsen.

How about the last time Carlsbad reached a tournament final?

"Not ever," added Knudsen.

Well, that answer is now wrong.

Carlsbad roared through the two-day Scripps Ranch Tournament, reached the championship match and edged host Scripps Ranch 25-23, 25-21 in Saturday's final for the first tournament crown in school history.

The No. 2-ranked Lancers (19-1) dominated the field so thoroughly that they didn't lose a game in any of their eight matches. On Saturday, Scripps Ranch was the only team to score more than 19 points against them.

"Just the confidence from the last two days will be valuable the rest of the way," Knudsen said. "I want them to know they have confidence to beat anyone they play.

"We've set some lofty goals. Some of the kids wrote down they wanted to win a tournament title as well as league and CIF (San Diego Section Division I).

"We got momentum from beating San Pasqual (Thursday) and we continued it in this tournament."

The Lancers won all three pool play matches Friday. On Saturday, they defeated No. 1 Rancho Bernardo 25-15, 25-19, West Hills 25-19, 25-9, No. 9 San Marcos 25-14, 25-19 in the quarterfinals and No. 5 San Pasqual 25-18, 25-12 in the semifinals.

In the finals, the Lancers took the lead for good in the first game against No. 8 Scripps Ranch (15-6) at 23-22 on a Chase Ross kill.

That was the fourth time the lead changed hands. It was tied 11 times.

Carlsbad never trailed in the second game, which was tied just three times.

"Losing to La Costa Canyon in the (Parker Tournament) has been our inspiration," said Ross, who was the tournament MVP on Saturday after collecting 15 kills and two blocks in the championship game. "We found out we had to pick it up.

"We were all focused this tournament. We weren't for the Parker Tournament."

Teammates Jared Miller and Connor Corgiat joined Ross on the all-tournament team. Jeff Black of San Pasqual, which took third place, and Rancho Bernardo's Tyler Armacost also were named all-tournament.

"Ross' timing is so good, he just beats the block," said Scripps Ranch coach Ronni Olsen. "Even when he hits it at a defender, it's hit too hard to handle."

Kind of the way the Lancers are playing right now.



