Ocean View’s boys’ volleyball team couldn’t beat its archrival, but the program is in the midst of what could end up being its first winning season since the coronavirus pandemic.

The Seahawks took a 25-13, 25-23, 25-21 loss at Westminster on Thursday in an Orange Coast League game, but the visitors remain in contention to end a prolonged CIF Southern Section playoff drought.

It has been six years since the Seahawks ran the table in the second half of the Golden West League to clinch third place and reach the postseason. That Ocean View squad — coached by Joshua Nehls and led on the court by do-it-all setter Hunter Miller — reached the Division 5 semifinals.

In the four prior seasons since competition resumed following the pandemic-induced shutdown, the Seahawks had no more than five wins in any single season. They went a combined 4-36 in the Golden West League.

(James Carbone)

Ocean View (11-6, 3-4 in the Orange Coast League) has shown improvement. The Seahawks, in the midst of the second round of three in league play, have earned a win against three of their four league foes — Buena Park, Katella and Santa Ana.

Steven Morales, the first-year coach of the Seahawks, said the team and the school are “excited” to be back in the playoff hunt for boys’ volleyball.

“Compared to the past seasons, they’re doing pretty well right now,” Morales said. “They’re still in the fight to get second or third in league, and they’re going to make, hopefully, playoffs for the first time in six years.”

Westminster (13-4, 7-0) is pulling away from the pack, as the Lions look to bring home their first league championship since sharing the Golden West League title with Loara in 2018.

(James Carbone)

The boisterous Lions were in attack mode all match, passing the ball well and providing ample opportunities for their hitters in the front row.

“We tend to focus more on our serve receive and our defense more than us trying to put the ball away, because the teams we play, they are always taller than us,” said Westminster coach Cashmere Webber, in her fourth year with the program.

In the second meeting between the teams this season, the Lions knew who to key in on defensively.

“I trusted my libero taking all of the opposite hits, while I usually focused on the tips and all the scrappy balls that it would take,” Lions outside hitter Ethan Au said. “Other than that, I just have enough trust in our passers and setters to put it up.”

(James Carbone)

Ocean View, which took a set off Westminster in the teams’ first meeting, threatened to do it again in the second set. The Seahawks held a 21-14 lead in the game before the Lions stormed back.

It took a village for the Lions to dig out of that hole. Au was at the service line for the final six points, including an ace to kick it off. Noah Barajas also had a kill and a solo block on Alex McCarrick that prevented the Seahawks from reaching set point.

“I was just thinking, ‘We’re down already, so I can’t be ripping jump serves,’” Au said. “I just keep it calm. I just tried to keep it in … for our team to have a chance to make it back.”

(James Carbone / Staff Photographer)

Kevin Duong had nine kills and two aces to pace the Lions. Benjamin Nguyen had eight kills. Au supplied eight kills and 10 digs. Jaden Tran distributed 18 assists to go with nine digs, and Jacob Truong also produced 14 assists. Ngo finished with 10 digs, and Barajas had five kills and four blocks.

An Nguyen had 15 kills, four blocks and an ace to lead Ocean View. McCarrick added four kills.

“I think he knows a lot of the boys on Westminster, and he’s a senior, so he’s known a lot of those guys a little bit longer, so there’s a little bit more of that rivalry for him,” Morales said of Nguyen. … “I think he went pretty aggressive today. I’m not going to go away from him.”

(James Carbone)

Huntington Beach 3, Los Angeles Loyola 0: Ben Arguello had a team-leading 15 kills for the visiting Oilers in a 25-20, 25-23, 25-18 sweep of the Cubs on Wednesday in a nonleague match.

Logan Hutnick added a dozen kills for Huntington Beach (21-2, 5-0), which avenged a five-set loss to Loyola (12-4) in its own gym on Feb. 26.

Kai Gan produced 35 assists, Aiden Atencio had 12 digs, and Colin Choi chipped in with eight digs.