After 20 straight match wins — not once going to a fifth set — top-seeded Carlsbad faced its toughest challenge yet Saturday night at Francis Parker’s Vassiliadis Family Gymnasium, edging Torrey Pines in a five-set battle to claim the CIF San Diego Section Open Division boys’ volleyball championship.
“Our goals were to go undefeated in league and to win CIF,” said Lancers first-year head coach Annette Bashford. “From Day 1, that was the expectation, and that’s what we worked for.”
Coastal League rivals Carlsbad and Torrey Pines clashed twice during the regular season. On April 17, the Lancers earned a 3-1 win on the road, taking sets one, three, and four by scores of 25-12, 25-18, and 25-17. Just five days later, the rematch ended in a Lancers sweep: 25-20, 25-14, and a dramatic 31-29 third set, setting the stage for their third and final meeting.
In the Open Division final, Carlsbad raced to a 2-0 lead with wins of 25-18 and 25-23. But the momentum shifted as the Falcons surged back to take the next two sets, 25-20 and 25-15, marking the first time the Lancers were pushed to a fifth set all season.
In the decider, Carlsbad (35-2, 8-0 Coastal) regrouped and dominated, closing out the match with a commanding 15-5 finish to clinch the title.
“This is a talented, very senior heavy team,” Bashford reflected. “These boys just were not going to take anything but a win.”
Last year’s Open Division champion, Torrey Pines (33-8, 6-2 Coastal), is the first team in nearly a decade (2017) to come back from a two-set deficit and push the conference final to a decisive fifth set.
“That was a new experience for us,” Bashford said. “They made some great adjustments to our offense, and it took us a minute to respond — but I’m really proud of our boys for digging deep. We’d never gone five sets before, and as a staff, we told them going into the fifth, it was time to shift momentum and take care of business. They came out hot, and by the time Torrey Pines called their second timeout at 8-2, I knew it was going our way.”
The section championship is the third in Lancer volleyball history and the first since 2016.
Senior outside hitter Roman Payne, an imposing 7-foot presence and University of Hawai‘i commit, delivered a standout performance with 17 kills. Payne’s impact was especially meaningful after missing last year’s semifinals due to his commitment to Team USA’s under-19 squad; in his absence, Carlsbad fell in five sets to Cathedral Catholic.
“He’s really unstoppable in the middle and so consistent — night after night, Bashford said. “He competes hard, takes every game seriously, and always wants to win. As long as we stay in the system, we know he’ll take care of the job.”
Lancers senior middle blocker Oliver Doty, a 6-foot-7 Harvard commit, added 14 kills and five blocks, while fellow senior outside hitter Derek Bashford, son of head coach Annette Bashford, contributed 15 kills, three digs and two blocks.
“Sometimes I wish I could watch from the stands it’s hard for me to fully enjoy the moment while coaching,” Bashford said. ”But he’s been so wonderful and he’s able to take anything I have to say and respect it as coming from his coach not his mom. It has been a really special and treasured experience that I’ll never forget.”
Carlsbad senior right side hitter Nate Hedgecock rounded out the scoring with five kills, and Bashford singled out junior setter Ben Saurwine as this season’s unsung hero.
“He’s the quarterback of our team — a quiet leader who gets the job done, maintains order, and reliably runs our offense,” Bashford said. “His smart setting choices spread the offense, force blockers to play honest, and create one-on-ones for our hitters.”
Carlsbad’s championship run began with a strong showing against Granite Hills in the opening round, sweeping 3-0 with set scores of 25-22, 25-21, and 25-20. Next, they outlasted Francis Parker in a 3-1 victory, edging Parker 25-22, 25-18, dropping a tight 24-26 set, then closing out 25-19.
Momentum grew as the Lancers dominated the semifinals with another 3-0 sweep of Francis Parker, winning 25-22, 25-19, and 25-16 to punch their ticket to the final.
“We never talked about regionals — our goal was CIF, and we didn’t want to look past it because volleyball is a game of momentum where any talented team can win on any night,” Bashford said. “I told them to celebrate the weekend, but come Monday, when we step in the gym, it’s a brand-new season with a brand-new goal.”
Carlsbad advances to the state tournament, ranked third in California and fourth nationally by MaxPreps.
In an opening round match, Carlsbad hosts Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
“We haven’t seen this team before, which is exciting and also a little nerve-wracking as a coach,” Bashford said. “I like facing new opponents because it brings fresh eyes and raises the intensity — there’s no room for complacency when you don’t know what you’re facing.”
