ALISO VIEJO >> The Upland boys volleyball hasn’t had to play beyond three sets in any playoff match this season.
Even as the stakes get higher and the opponents get tougher, the Highlanders still haven’t had the experience of a playing a fourth set.
Upland did it once again, coming away with a sweep, 25-22, 26-24, 25-23, of Aliso Niguel in a CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal Saturday at Aliso Niguel High School.
Aliso Niguel outside hitter Armaan Zia hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Upland on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland middle blocker Cian Slade hits the ball during the Scots’ victory over Aliso Niguel in the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel middle blocker Anthony Diosdado hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Upland on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland outside hitter Jordan Lucas digs the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal against Aliso Niguel on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland outside hitter Jordan Lucas hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal against Aliso Niguel on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland’s Cian Slade, right, blocks Aliso Niguel’s Raul Papaleo during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match between the two teams on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel opposite Ty Carson hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Upland on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland outside hitter Jordan Lucas hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal against Aliso Niguel on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland players and coaches celebrate their 3-straight-game win over Aliso Niguel in the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel captain Cage Gonzalez digs the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Upland on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland players and coaches celebrate their 3-straight-game win over Aliso Niguel in the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland middle blocker Cian Slade hits the ball during the Scots’ victory over Aliso Niguel in the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland outside hitter Jordan Lucas hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal against Aliso Niguel on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland outside hitter Kai Vogel tools the block of Aliso Niguel’s Johny McKeon, center, and Tyler Harrison during Saturday’s CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match between the two teams on May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland outside hitter Kai Vogel hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Aliso Niguel on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel’s Raul Papaleo hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Upland on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel middle blocker Anthony Diosdado hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Upland on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland’s AJ Contreras, center, blocks Aliso Niguel’s Armaan Zia during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match between the two teams on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel’s Armaan Zia digs the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Upland on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel setter Johny McKeon sets middle blocker Anthony Diosdado during Saturday’s CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Upland on May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland outside hitter Kai Vogel hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Aliso Niguel on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland outside hitter Kai Vogel hits the ball from the back row during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Aliso Niguel on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Upland outside hitter Kai Vogel hits the ball during the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal match against Aliso Niguel on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
“They made us earn it,” Upland coach Scott Robertson said of Aliso Niguel. “They are a good team. They played hard. I give them all the credit in the world.”
The Highlanders (36-3), the No. 1 seed in the division, will play Royal of Simi Valley in the Division 3 final on Saturday, May 14 at a site to be determined.
Not only have the Highlanders swept the four teams they’ve faced in the playoffs, they have also swept their past nine opponents overall, going back to a 2-0 sweep of Flintridge Prep in a tournament match on April 16.
Upland’s kill leaders Saturday were Jordan Lucas with 16 and Kai Vogel with 11.
AJ Contreras also had five blocks for the Highlanders.
Cage Gonzalez and Ty Carson finished with 14 and 12 kills respectively for the Wolverines (18-11).
“I knew they were pumped coming into this match,” said Lucas, referring to Aliso Niguel’s comeback victory over Edison in the quarterfinals. “I knew they had grit in them, so we had to have more grit than they did. They were a hard team to beat, but consistently throughout the match, we just had our foot on the gas.”
The Wolverines came back from significant deficits to make every set close.
The Highlanders, who were bumped up from Division 5 to Division 3 this season, were leading 15-11 in the first set when the Wolverines went on a 5-1 run to tie the score.
Jonny McKeon’s quick’s dump shot for a kill gave the Wolverines a 22-21 lead, but the Highlanders responded with a 4-0 run to win the set.
In the second set, Upland led 19-12 when blocks by Raul Papaleo and Carson keyed a 7-0 run for Aliso Niguel to tie the score.
The Wolverines came from three points down late in the set to make the score 24-14, when a kill and an ace from Lucas put the Highlanders up 2-0.
The third set featured five lead changes and seven ties.
Upland led 24-22 when Armaan Zia scored for the Wolverines to make it a one-point set.
But Vogel’s kill put the match away, taking away any chance for the Wolverines to come back, the way they did in a quarterfinal victory against Edison on Thursday.
“The discipline could have been better,” Aliso Niguel coach Miguel Monterola said. “That’s something we’re going to have to work on.”
