CIF STATE VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION I : Sea Kings Dominate Los Altos

CORONA DEL MAR — If this was one of the best high school teams Northern California had to offer, maybe it should have sent Stanford.

In the semifinals of the State girls’ volleyball tournament, Corona del Mar gave Los Altos a 58-minute lesson in the sport’s finer points, dispatching the Eagles, 15-2, 15-7, 15-8, Tuesday night at Corona del Mar High.

Los Altos, the second-seeded team from Northern California, was outmatched in every aspect of the match and led only once, 1-0, in the second game.

Beyond that, it was all Sea Kings, the top-seeded entry from Southern California. And the Eagles knew exactly what hit them.

“I know a lot of their girls from club, and they’re a great, great team,” Los Altos senior setter Lisa Sharpley said. “Even though we didn’t play that well, we were really nervous. You’ve got to hand it to Corona del Mar. They’re just a great team. “

With the victory, Corona del Mar (30-3) advanced to its second consecutive State final appearance and will try to defend its title against cross-town rival Newport Harbor Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton. It will be the fourth meeting between the teams this season, with the Sailors holding a 2-1 edge.

To get there, the Sea Kings played almost perfectly. Coach Lance Stewart thought of little they could have done better.

“Maybe blocked a little better, and penetrate off the block,” he said. “Other than that, we were very solid.”

Rock solid, in fact, was Corona del Mar’s right-side attack, led by Jennifer Stroffe and Kim Coleman, who combined for 28 kills.

“We haven’t seen an attack like that,” said Stanford-bound Sharpley, who led the Eagles (27-8) with 15 kills. She admitted her team hadn’t seen quality competition nearly as often as the Sea Kings have.

But Corona del Mar has many tricks up its sleeve. Its passing and serving were on, which Stewart cited as a key.

“We passed well, that’s so much of it,” he said.

Senior setter Kristen Campbell opened the match with six serving points and a 6-0 lead. Senior middle blocker Caitlin Pickart later followed with three consecutive aces--she finished with five. Kristen Campbell, Kelly Campbell, Kathryn Rice and Andrea Susson each had one ace.

Possibly more than any other factor, the Sea Kings were inspired by playing their last home match.

“This was our last game in this gym; we wanted it to be good,” Coleman said.

While Stewart said he welcomes any team that comes the Sea Kings way Saturday, Coleman said they crave a final showdown with the Sailors.

“Oh yeah,” she said with a glimmer in her eyes. “It’s going to be a battle. “