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Sage Hill players, coaches and supporters celebrate after Saturday’s final. (PHOTOS: Adam Kunin, For OC Sports Zone).
In a season filled with firsts for Sage Hill boys volleyball, the Lightning made program history at home on Saturday night by adding a CIF Southern Regional title to its resume.
Sage Hill School swept Clairemont High School 3-0 in the CIF Division III Southern Regional championship final to continue its dominant postseason run.
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The Lightning (22-11) advance to play in the inaugural CIF Division III State Championship Saturday, May 31 at 1:30 p.m. vs International of San Francisco at Fresno City College.
In his first season as head coach, Jordan Hoppe has brought an invigorating culture to the school, which shone through against Clairemont.
“The first day Coach Hoppe came in, he emphasized culture,” freshman Ethan McNutt said. “Coming together when points are lost and staying together.”
This culture came to the forefront after Sage Hill claimed the first set 25-16, but fell behind 17-14 in the second. Following two timeouts from Hoppe, the Lightning showcased their toughness and strong on-court connection by ripping off a 5-1 run out of the break to take the lead back and ultimately win the set 25-22.
In addition to strong chemistry, Hoppe credits his coaching staff for playing a major role in his team’s success. It’s a dedicated group that he’s leaned on all season long to help him make in-game adjustments.
“I think the coaching staff uber prepares,” Hoppe said. “Probably more than a typical high school does. I think that really helps us and sets the boys ahead. Having good information, good tactical advice, doing film sessions and then us applying what we see in practice out there [in matches].”
Led by senior captain outside hitter Jackson Cryst, Sage kept its momentum rolling into the third set. Once again, another back-and-forth start to a set quickly turned in favor of the Lightning due to the prowess of Cryst.
When his team needed him most, the Long Beach State commit rose to the occasion. Cryst won point after point for the Lightning and energized his team in the crucial moments of the match by showing emotion following many of his highlight plays.
“As a competitor, I want the ball in my hands,” Cryst said. “I’m not a big guy to celebrate or say anything about myself, but I think it really cultivates the whole team to get fired up. So I’ve learned to lean more into that in moments where we need energy.”
With momentum in its favor, Sage Hill finished off Clairemont in the third set, winning 25-22 to complete the sweep on Saturday night.
For Cryst, the victory helped validate the immense commitment that his teammates have made throughout the playoff run. As a captain, it’s a level of buy-in that’s left him proud to suit up with the group.
“It’s really cool to be able to lead a group of guys,” Cryst said. “And to have everybody commit to something bigger than themselves … Just so you can be part of something that’s historic and that’s bigger than yourself that’ll be on the wall forever. I think that’s a really big deal and I’m grateful for it.”
The victory marked Sage Hill’s first Southern Regional title in program history and now gives it a chance to make more history in the first-ever CIF state championship next weekend. After all of Sage’s accomplishments in his first year, Hoppe remains grateful to his team for taking the program to new heights.
“This is a huge moment for Sage,” Hoppe said. “Having one of the best high school players in the country in Jackson Cryst and just the culmination of all the hard work around him says a lot about this team and this culture we’ve built in a short period of time.”