In a performance that screamed dynasty, Mira Costa left no doubt who owns Southern California high school boys' volleyball. The Mustangs swept archrival Loyola 25-21, 25-22, 25-22 on Friday night at Cerritos College, capturing their second straight Southern Section Division 1 championship and stamping themselves as the team to beat—anywhere.
From the opening whistle, UCLA-bound junior Mateo Fuerbringer played like a man on a mission. The 6-foot-4 hitter terminated Loyola's first three rallies with thunderous kills and added an emphatic stuff block on the fourth. Ten points in, he already had five kills. By the end of the first set, he had 12—and the Cubs had no answers.
"He's always had the IQ. Now you add the power on top of that?" said Mira Costa coach Greg Snyder. "There are no answers. It's a deadly combination. Mateo has no weaknesses."
The second set was a back-and-forth battle until the Mustangs created separation late, fueled by Fuerbringer and Enzo Barker's serving. When Loyola's Pax Stetson served into the net, Mira Costa took a commanding two-sets-to-none lead.
But the Cubs weren't done. They stormed out to a 17-11 lead in the third set, forcing the Mustangs to dig deep. Mira Costa clawed back, taking a 20-19 edge on Barker's ace before Fuerbringer sent the green-and-white faithful into a frenzy with a right-side smash on match point. He finished with 27 kills, while Barker and UC Santa Barbara commit Wyatt Davis each added six. Mater Dei transfer Jake Newman dished 38 assists, and Dane Del Riego anchored the defense with 15 digs.
"I always try to set the tone, and Jake gave me great sets," Fuerbringer said. "They were bombing serves in that third set and got up on us, but we stuck with it and closed it strong. We didn't want to give them any momentum."
The win gives Mira Costa its 10th section title and improves its record to 10-8 in finals. The back-to-back championships mark just the second time in school history the Mustangs have pulled off the feat—the first came in Division 2 in 2001 and 2002. Mira Costa now holds a 2-3 record in finals against Loyola, having fallen to the Cubs in four sets in 2005 and 2010, prevailing in five sets in 2012, and getting swept in 2024.
The Mustangs have been nearly unstoppable since a five-set loss to Bay League rival Redondo Union on March 26. They've won 10 straight matches since, dropping only three sets along the way, and avenged that defeat in four sets on April 20 to earn the top seed. Now, they have the trophy to prove it.