Fancy passing lifts Bonanza to victory

Bonanza is the lone surviving Sunset Southwest Division volleyball team because it held on to a lead Wednesday after the fifth point of its fourth game, something the Bengals didn't do in their previous two matches against Arbor View.

The Bengals beat the Aggies 25-20, 27-25, 19-25, 25-20 in a Sunset Regional Championship quarterfinal match Wednesday at Silverado by moving the ball around in their final game.

"Whenever our passing was there, we were pretty much unstoppable," Bonanza coach Robert Bertolani said. "When we pass well, we do good things. When we don't pass well, we struggle. Passing was much better in that last game."

Kyle Davis, with 37 assists and nine blocks, directed the Bengals' attack and formed half of a strong front line with Brian Harrington, who had 10 blocks and seven kills.

"Kyle had been a hitter until about midway through the season, but he has adjusted to setting," Bertolani said. "We have several players who can play multiple positions, and he's one of them."

Dallin Hyer led the Bengals in kills with 15. Jeremy Anderson had eight kills and David Fajardo seven kills and three digs for Bonanza.

For Arbor View, which led by as many as four points in the second game and eight in the third, Nathan Stuart had 17 blocks, Zac Reese 12 kills and six blocks, Matt Ward 26 assists and six blocks and Michael McAllister seven kills, four blocks and three aces.

With the win, the Bengals will play in a semifinal against Shadow Ridge at 8 tonight.

The Mustangs advanced to the semis by beating Spring Valley 25-11, 25-17, 25-22 as Josh Shea had 32 assists and four kills, Mark Schuermann 11 kills and seven digs, Elvin Bower 11 kills and Brian Wendt eight digs.

For the Grizzlies, Joey Franchino had eight kills, Adam Aquillard seven blocks and six kills and Chance Comrie 14 assists.

Defending Sunset and state champion Palo Verde advanced to the other semifinal by beating Sierra Vista, 25-17, 25-10, 25-23. Joe Kauliakamoa had 22 kills, eight digs and four aces, Jorge Arroyo 24 assists, Kyle Capko six kills and six digs and Spencer Haire six kills for the Panthers.

"Everybody knows what Joe (Kauliakamoa) can do. He's real consistent," Palo Verde coach Phil Clarke said. "But when you get another guy (Haire) to step up and put the ball away, that makes us more dangerous."

Kauliakamoa had 11 of his kills in the third game, including the 22nd, 23rd and 24th Panthers points to break a 21-21 tie.

"We kind of lost our fire, lost our emotion (in the third game)," Clarke said.

Josh McLain had 11 kills, Zach Waldron 16 assists and Brent Waldron seven kills for the Lions.

The Panthers will play Centennial, which was a 25-10, 25-7, 25-13 winner over Clark, in a semifinal at 5 tonight.

Breyden Burley had nine kills and five aces, Mike Tagliaferri 25 assists, Chandler Tidwell six kills, Jordan Leach five kills and Pierson Baldwin five digs and four blocks for the Bulldogs.