Mira

Marymount girls volleyball team is peaking at the right time — and that could mean trouble for opponents.

The Sailors had everything working for them in a 25-13, 25-17, 25-15 sweep of visiting Mira Costa in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals on Tuesday night, showing no signs of rust after a first-round bye in the 12-team bracket.

“We couldn’t have been more prepared,” Washington-bound senior hitter Sammy Destler said. “Our energy got us to the finish line. We were on fire. That’s the best we’ve played all season.”

Destler entered the match two kills shy of 1,000 for her career and it didn’t take long for her to reach the milestone, achieving it on a strike to the right side that gave Marymount a 12-6 lead in the first set.

“I had no clue until they announced it, but it feels good,” said Destler, one of seven Sailors who finished with at least five kills. “We’re very familiar with them, they have Audrey [Flanagan] and Simone [Roslon] and they’re always tough but tonight was about everything we did on our side.”

The fifth-seeded Mustangs (24-10), who shared the Bay League crown with No. 2 Redondo Union despite dropping their first league match since 2019, had pushed Marymount to five sets in a nonleague match in September, but this time they could not handle the Sailors’ balanced attack.

Marymount’s serving kept Mira Costa out of system all match. In the first set alone the Sailors served seven aces, including three in a row by Southern Methodist-bound middle blocker Elle Vandeweghe, that put her team up 20-9. She and Destler combined for a stuff block on set point.

Destler opened the second set with another ace, then Frankie Jones ended it with a kill. Destler and Makenna Barnes, a Northwestern commit, each had eight kills apiece while Vandeweghe and the Brown-bound Jones each added six.

Flanagan, a Wisconsin commit, paced the Mustangs with eight kills and got a hug afterwards from Destler, one of her best friends.

Marymount’s Makenna Barnes, right, goes on the attack against Mira Costa blockers Liliana Swanson, left, and Milly McGee, center, during Marymount’s victory in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals on Tuesday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“We’ve played so many more matches than other teams,” Marymount coach Cari Klein said. “I didn’t want it, but I think we needed those extra few days rest because of the intensity of our schedule.”

The fourth-seeded Sailors (37-5) advanced to the semifinals to face top-seeded Sierra Canyon (37-3) on Saturday for the fourth time this season. The Sailors won the first meeting, 21-25, 25-15, 25-12 in the finals of the Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas. The Trailblazers rebounded to take a pair of Mission League meetings over a span of eight days.

Klein, who is hoping to pilot the Sailors to their 11th section title in her 28th season, was so locked in to the task at hand Tuesday that she did not look at the CIF website to see if her team had won the coin flip for the next round: “Please say it’s here!”

Her wish was not granted, as Marymount will have to travel to Chatsworth, where it dropped a five-set thriller on Sept. 29, but Destler is confident they can win on any court.

“If we play like we this, there’s no stopping us,” she said.

Maybe it’s knowing the beach is a short walk from their high school campus, but the special teams trio of punter Jackson Shevin, long snapper Jackson Reach and kicker Nico Talbott are feeling relaxed, comfortable and confident for Mira Costa High‘s football team.

Early in the season, fans sometimes need to close their eyes and pray when there’s a punt or PAT attempt. The special teams play can be that bad.

At Mira Costa, this coming season should be a good one for the special teams. The two Jacksons, Shevin and Reach, did their roles last season. Shevin is also a holder on field goals. Talbott assumes the No. 1 role for kicking. And Reach rarely leaves the field, because he’s also the team’s standout linebacker.

On any football team, it’s always intriguing to see how the special teams players blend in. Many are soccer players trying to learn the football culture.

The Mira Costa trio work well together, and it helps with their versatility. Mira Costa opens its season Aug. 29 against St. Francis. …

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Surfer dudes. Football dudes.

That’s the best way to describe identical twins Liam and Luke Meeker, football players at Mira Costa High.

Liam is the quarterback and Luke the receiver. They’ve been teaming up their whole life.

“Twin telepathy,” they joke.

Their father, George, who was a member of Edison’s surf team during his high school days, taught them to surf when they were 9. Luke claims to be the best, but it’s football where they are making their presence felt.

Both are 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds. Liam can throw and run. Luke can be physical and protective of his brother. They’re loyal and best friends.

“He’s a great quarterback,” Luke said.

“I know where he is on the field,” Liam said.

With Mira Costa returning eight starters on defense and key skill position players such as the Meekers and standout running back AJ McBean, the Mustangs have a chance to be competitive in a tough Bay League that also has Palos Verdes, Inglewood, Leuzinger, Culver City and Lawndale.

Coach Don Morrow, in his 33rd season, likes the togetherness of his players. There’s good leaders, like linebacker/long snapper Jackson Reach, who’s been a standout since his sophomore season.

On Wednesday afternoon, it was a pleasant 77 degrees, with drums, flutes and cymbals being heard around the Manhattan Beach campus as band members practiced. Cheerleaders also worked on their routines. Then football players took the field to continue preparation for an Aug. 29 opener against St. Francis.

Afterward, anyone could take a walk to the beach and surf. The Meekers have been spending summers in Australia, where their mother was born and raised on a farm. They’ve gotten stronger with all the chores they do each summer.

When it comes to surfing, they know the lingo and the fun.

They’re “stoked” for the football season ahead.

When it comes to special teams, Mira Costa’s football team has a dream group ready to handle punting, kicking, long snapping and holding.

The senior trio of punter Jackson Shevin, kicker Nico Talbott and long snapper Jackson Reach is an impressive group.

Shevin, who’s also the holder on PATs and field goals, averaged 38 yards on punts last season. Talbott waited his time to handle kicking duties on junior varsity and being the backup. He has performed well at the Chris Sailer kicking camps. Reach is an elite long snapper and terrific linebacker.

Shevin also says he’s ready to pass or run if coach Don Morrow calls for any fake punts or fake field goals.

“It’s pretty cool,” Morrow said of his special teams trio. Morrow is entering his 33rd season at Mira Costa and No. 37 overall and thinks special teams is pretty important for a football program.

With two of the three named Jackson and being from Manhattan Beach, you can imagine the trust and fun they have playing on the same team.

Mira Costa is one of a talented group of teams in the Bay League joining Palos Verdes, Inglewood, Leuzinger and Culver City, all of whom could be title contenders depending on what division they are placed in.

Mira Costa returns top quarterback Liam Meeker and top running back AJ McBean. But they know if they need a punt or a field goal, the “Three Amigos” are ready.