Markley strikes back

COSTA MESA ? Shaun Markley wasn’t going to let it happen for the second consecutive match.

The senior outside hitter took the blame for the Estancia High boys’ volleyball team’s five-game, season-opening loss to Marina last week. So when the Eagles’ second match of the season also went to a fifth game, Markley made sure to close it out right.

Markley’s kill straight down the line was his fourth of the game and match-high 18th of the night, giving the Eagles a 25-21, 16-25, 25-22, 28-30, 15-11 nonleague victory over Fountain Valley Wednesday night.

It marked Estancia’s first victory under Coach Mark Cygan, who took over a team that reached the CIF Southern Section Division III semifinals last year. The Eagles were the preseason No. 1 in the division.

Although Fountain Valley (1-2) wasn’t ranked, it had beaten Mater Dei (ranked No. 10 in Division I) in five games and lost to Orange Lutheran (No. 2 in Division III) in four going into Wednesday’s match.

In Estancia’s five-game loss last week, Marina came from behind to win the last three games. Markley felt Marina’s winning point was his fault. So it was extra gratifying for him to come up big in the fifth game against Fountain Valley and close the match with a kill.

“I kind of lost the last one for us,” Markley said. “The last shot hit me in the shoulder as it went out. I should have let it go out. I had to make up for it.”

Senior Scott Markley gave the Eagles (1-1) their first lead of the fifth game at 8-7 with a putaway. Kills by senior Dallas Kopp (12 kills) and Shaun Markley and a block by senior Nick Arant helped give the Eagles a 13-9 lead.

After Kopp partially fanned on a potential match-clinching kill attempt, Shaun Markley bailed him out with his swing.

“We stepped up our blocking a bit in the fifth game,” Cygan said. “And we stopped making service errors.”

Kopp and Scott Markley had four kills each to spark Estancia’s win in the first game. After dropping the second game, the Eagles were in danger of falling behind, 2-1, in games when they gave up a five-point lead and let the Barons tie the score, 20-20, in the third game.

The Eagles were up, 23-22, when Kopp delivered a kill off a short set from first-year starting setter Jacoby Lawrence. Shaun Markley closed out the game with a slicing hit from a sharp angle along the net.

“Lawrence set the ball extremely well,” Cygan said. “Our passing was better than the first match. Our overall play was solid.”

The fourth game was tied nine times, including at 28-28, until Fountain Valley’s Mike Appel ? who led the Barons with 12 kills ? closed the game with a kill and a well-placed tip before Shaun Markley took over the fifth game.

Cygan thought his team would close the match out in four games, but was pleased to get his first win under his belt.

“It feels good, I’m relieved,” Cygan said. “There’s a long way to go, though. It’s a long season.”

Cygan said the season-opening loss to Marina helped the Eagles.

“Having been through the five-game loss to Marina was a good experience,” Cygan said.

Being ranked No. 1 to start the season is like having a bulls-eye on your back, but it’s providing the Eagles with stiff competition.

“It’s tough, but I like it,” Shaun Markley said. “It means every team will play hard against us, which is what we need right now.”

Estancia will get what should prove to be another tough test when it hosts rival Costa Mesa in a Golden West League match on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Mustangs are ranked No. 4 in Division III.

Before that, the Eagles are entered in the Foothill Tournament this weekend.dpt-volley09.IMGGraphicInfoK41OOQ9G20060309K41OOQ9GNo Captiondpt.09-est-volley-1-CPhotoInfoQ51OOOLQ20060309ivua2uknDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Estancia’s Alex LeGrand, right, hits through the block of Fountain Valley’s Erich Hanxleden during the first game of their nonleague match on Wednesday.