Costa Mesa fights back in fifth game

COSTA MESA — In the end, Costa Mesa High boys’ volleyball coach Garry Currier couldn’t hold back.

When he saw his team respond to near defeat, he had to run toward Garrett Frazier, to hug him and bounce with his players. After all, there was great reason to celebrate. It was only a year ago that the Mustangs were 5-15 and at home in the postseason.

This year, they’re moving on to the CIF Southern Section Division quarterfinals after fighting off match point in the fifth set against visiting Arroyo Grande Tuesday night.

No wonder, Currier was shouting just as loud as his players after they scored a 25-18, 25-20, 23-25, 21-25, 17-15 second-round win. They were down, 14-12, in the fifth set.

“I want to be up in there and show them they can trust me,” Currier, the Mustangs’ first-year coach, said of celebrating wildly with his team after the win. “I’m a fiery coach. I get yellow cards all the time. I want to let them know I’m here.”

No yellows for Currier Tuesday night. But he sure was a wild card.

At times during the match, when Costa Mesa scored a point, Currier would rise from the bench, raise his hands and stare down the Arroyo Grande fans up in the stands.

The Mustangs (15-7) did their best to take on the personality of their coach. It helped in the fifth set when they had to show fire in order to fight off a strong Eagles team (15-2).

Senior setter Ben Lefebvre, who sat in on Currier’s interview to get the job at Mesa four months ago, sparked the Mustangs’ comeback late in the fifth set. He put up a set for Corbin Randall to finish and then he recorded a block to the tie the score, 14-14.

Lefebvre teamed up with James Wanbaugh for a big block to give the Mustangs match point at 15-14. But the Eagles responded with a kill from Logan Wais (22 kills).

Costa Mesa answered right back with a back-row kill from Frazier (12 kills and 10 digs), who then stepped up to end the match. After Jeff Dye (14 kills, 16 digs) served, Arroyo Grande returned, but Frazier put away Lefebvre’s set to ignite the Mustangs’ celebration, as their fans cheered them on.

In the quarterfinals, Costa Mesa will play against Westlake Friday at a site to be determined by a coin toss.

“We really wanted it as a team,” said Lefebvre, who had 45 assists. “We knew this didn’t have to be the end for us. We just really wanted it. We dug down deep.”

In addition to Lefebvre, Dye was also part of Currier’s interview for the Mesa spot. They both liked Currier’s attitude and believed the coach would be the right person to inspire the Mustangs to play to their potential.

“Different coach, different attitude,” Currier said of the reason why Costa Mesa has turned its season around. “I basically came in with no friendship mode. I didn’t take any excuses.

Said Lefebvre: “He got us fired up.”

Costa Mesa senior middle blocker Ryan Thompson certainly showed some fire as well against Arroyo Grande. Early on, when the Mustangs were in control in the first two sets, Thompson showed great emotion after each of his blocks and kills. The Penn-State bound Thompson finished with nine kills and nine blocks.

“Just having fun,” Thompson said of what he liked about the five-set match. “We played with some huge fire. It made it fun, fighting back like that.”

Thompson credited Lefebvre’s big blocks late in the fifth set that got the Mustangs going. Currier believed it was his players’ desire to win that also helped.

“This win shows that we trust in each other,” Currier said. “We never gave up.”

Randall contributed 13 kills and Andy Feldman led the Mustangs with 32 digs.

Gavin Trudeau led the Eagles with 30 assists.