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Tesoro players celebrate with the championship plaque after a win over Orange Lutheran. (PHOTOS: Adam Kunin, For OC Sports Zone).
Top-seed Tesoro High School boys volleyball team continued its dominant postseason run, capturing the CIF Division 3 Southern Section championship with a resounding 3-0 sweep over Orange Lutheran Saturday at Cerritos College.
The victory in the title match marked the Titans’ second Southern Section divisional championship in the past four seasons – Tesoro earned a Division 2 title in 2022.
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It’s an achievement that Coach Pat Eaton is proud of, especially considering the adversity his team faced, as it dropped three of its final four regular-season contests entering post season play.
“It would have been easy for those guys to quit when things weren’t going our way a few weeks ago, but they did a good job of growing up, being mature and handling that situation really well,” Eaton said. “[It’s] massive for our program. We’ve been here three times, and to win two of them is pretty sweet.”
After claiming the Southern Section title, the Titans (17-13) now advance to play in the CIF Regionals next week. Pairings will be announced Sunday.
Although Tesoro remained in control for most of the morning, the Titans had to hold off an energized Lancers team early. Orange Lutheran claimed the first four points of the match and forced Eaton to quickly call a timeout with the first set beginning to spiral.
Yet, out of the huddle emerged an inspired Tesoro squad that proceeded to win each of the first two sets 25-16.
And despite trailing in the third, the Titans rallied back to claim a dramatic final set 27-25.
“I wasn’t surprised that they didn’t quit in that third set when we struggled,” Eaton said. “I think that’s kind of been our M.O. all year … We played tough volleyball. We played well when things went our way, and we found a way to weather the storms.”
The team’s experienced core helped lead the way down the stretch, with junior outside hitters Connor Hatch and Max Draper leading the team in kills with 13 apiece.
For Draper, winning a title fulfilled a long-term goal to follow in the footsteps of his brother, former Titans volleyball player Nathan Draper, and cement his legacy as a champion at Tesoro.
“I’ve watched him play, and I just wanted to get there, and now that I’ve got one, it’s fun to be in that company,” Draper said.
On the other side, the loss ended a stellar run for Orange Lutheran, which won four matches in the tournament before falling in the championship.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” Orange Lutheran Coach Herny Valiente said. “We had a tremendous rollercoaster ride of a season. We were peaking at the right moment, and we just came across a great Tesoro team.”
Tesoro looks to carry its freight train of momentum into the regionals. The Titans swept three of their four opponents in the Southern Sectional tournament and have proven to be battle-tested after facing a difficult schedule.
“We came out of a tough league with San Clemente and Beckman both in Division 1, so I think we were prepared to play in some tough matches,” Eaton said. “I’m just really proud of the boys.”