Jackson Cryst (20) of Sage Hill slams the ball on the net while Crean Lutheran tries to block during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the 4 CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Josh Goldstone (24 years old) of Crean Lutheran tips the ball into the net while Carson Ellis (15) of Sage Hill tries to block during the semi-finals of the boys’ volleyball playoffs of the 4 CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Ethan Lai (13 years old) from Crean Lutheran digs the ball during the boys’ volleyball playoffs in the 4 CIF-SS division against Sage Hill, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Jackson Cryst (20) by Sage Hill, on the left, Micah Yee (10) and Josh Goldstone (24) by Crean Lutheran Leap for the ball during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the CIF-SS division 4, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Logan Erickson (9 years old) from Crean Lutheran and Ryan Manesh (5) of Sage Hill Leap for the ball during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the 4 CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Dylan Han (14 years old) of Sage Hill takes a shot while Quinn McINTETE (4) by Crean Lutheran tries to block during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Ethan McNutt (3) of Sage Hill returns the ball during the semi-finals of the boys volleyball playoffs in the CIF-SS division 4 against Crean Lutheran, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Logan Erickson (9 years old) from Crean Lutheran, on the right, takes a blow while Jackson Cryst (20) by Sage Hill tries to block during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Sage Hill huddled for a period while facing Crean Lutheran in the semi-final of the boys’ volleyball playoffs in the CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. Sage Hill then defeated Crean Lutheran 25-21, 26-24, 25-18. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Quinn McINTETE (4) by Crean Lutheran, in the center, slams the ball like Dylan Han (14), on the left, and Justin Liu (11) tries to block during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the CIF-SS division, May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
The family and friends of Sage Hill High encourage their team during the semi-finals of the boys’ volleyball playoffs in the 4 CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. Sage Hill then defeated Crean Lutheran 25-21, 26-24, 25-18. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Crean Lutheran, on the right, and Sage Hill, behind them, snuggle up during free time as they compete for the boys’ volleyball playoffs in the CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Connor GAPP (10) of Sage Hill, on the left, try to block a shot from Wyatt Erickson (20) by Crean Lutheran during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the 4 CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Ryan Manesh (5 years old) of Sage Hill Creuse the Crean Lutheran balloon in a game of boys volleyball playoffs in division 4 of division 4, May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Justin Liu (11), on the left, and Dylan Han (14) of Sage Hill are trying to block a pass of Quinn Mcintete (4) by Crean Lutheran during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the CIF-SS division, May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Carson Ellis (15 years old) of Sage Hill tips the ball into the net while Matthew Schulteis (14) by Crean Lutheran tries to block during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the 4 CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
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Jackson Cryst (20) of Sage Hill slams the ball on the net while Crean Lutheran tries to block during the semi-finals of the volleyball playoff boys from the 4 CIF-SS division, on May 10, 2025, to Sage Hill High. (Photo of Steven Georges, contributing photographer)
Develop
NEWPORT BEACH-There was no stop of the jackson Crystr-Cryst and the Volleyball team of Sage Hill in their semi-final of the CIF-SS Division 4 against Crean Lutheran on Saturday at Sage Hill Hall School.
Cryst was almost unstoppable, ending with 19 striking attacks, helping lightning to leave with a scan of 25-21, 26-24, 25-18 of the saints.
The berth in the final of the division is the second consequence for the For The Lightning (17-11) but the first first-year-old Jordan Hoppe first year.
Sage Hill won the Championship of the 5 2024 division with a five sets victory against San Marino under the coach Shelby Young.
“I just think that the hat in the athletics department and coaches and players,” said Hoppe. “It is fair to understand that this is my first year, the guys must somehow adhere to the system. And we have guys who come a little later in the season and the pre-season. I even got the job a little later. So, I did not have much time with the guys to really develop and form the culture that we form.”
Sage Hill will face Santa Barbara (20-10) during the championship match on Friday or Saturday May 16-17, in one place to announce.
Cryst, who is attached to Long Beach State, joined the team late because he was busy with the Lightning basketball team who reached the 3AA CIF-SS championship match.
“Yeah, I was deep in CIF with basketball,” said Cryst. “So, I jumped super late. There was a lot of adversity and I think that now we are really pushing for our peak in volleyball, which is exactly where you want to be.”
The Lightning came out quickly and built an advance of 15-8, then increased it to 20-10.
The saints (16-13) considerably reduced the gap, running a race of 11-5, mainly due to strike errors by lightning.
But the saints have always failed.
The second set was the key set for the saints, which came from behind to equalize the score twice and then took an advance of 23-22.
A killing of Logan Erickson gave Crean Lutheran an advance from Crean Lutheran, but the saints could not obtain the point of victory that would have equaled the match.
Instead, the lightning has scored the last three points to win the set and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
“Yes, it was a pivotal moment for sure,” said Crean Lutheran coach Justin Elder. “I mean, if we could equalize the scoring, I think we would have helped our attitudes a little. We would have felt a little more confident and I think that drop this second set after being difficult.”
The difficult loss in the second set seemed to have an effect on the saints in the third set.
Sage Hill had a tracks of 9-4, 15-11, 18-12 then 20-13.
Ryan Manesh, who has succeeded in 13 striking attacks for Sage Hill, had the final to finish the set and the Lightning match.
Micah Yee and Logan Erickson had 12 and 8 striking attacks respectively. For saints.
