DATE: Wednesday, November 5, 1997           TAG: 9711050495

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BRIAN J. FRENCH, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   52 lines

COX, DEEP CREEK ADVANCE EASILY INTO THE TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS THE HORNETS' MATT TURNER GETS 8 KILLS; JOSH ZUIDEMA'S 6 KILLS PACE FALCONS.

The opening of the Eastern Region boys volleyball tournament held few surprises, with No. 1 Cox and No. 3 Deep Creek routing Eastern District opponents in first-round matches at Tallwood.

The Hornets won the day's first match, shaking off a slow start to beat Eastern District runner-up Granby 15-12, 15-6.

Matt Turner had eight kills and three blocks for Southeastern District tournament champion Deep Creek, which held the Comets to an .063 hitting percentage in advancing to play second-ranked First Colonial in the region semifinals. The Patriots - winners of the Beach regular-season title - had a first-round bye.

Granby jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first game, but once the stronger Hornets got their legs they rolled, scoring eight of the next 10 points to win the game. Deep Creek then fashioned an 8-0 run to break a 3-3 tie in the second game.

``This is the best I've seen this team play,'' Hornets coach Richard Cox said. ``They've gotten more confident, and they're hitting the ball very well.''

Carlton Cooper and Breon Hamlett both had five kills and three blocks for the Hornets, who recorded nine team blocks.

Chris Ward had five kills and a pair of blocks for Granby.

``They played very well for a team that young,'' Comets coach Larry White said. ``Next year we'll be back in the thick of things.''

In the other quarterfinal, Beach District tournament champion Cox had no trouble dispatching No. 5 Maury, winning 15-2, 15-5 to advance to the semifinal round.

Josh Zuidema had six kills and 12 assists and twin brother Jason added four kills, four blocks and three aces for the Falcons, who held the Eastern District champion Commodores to three team kills and zero blocks.

``Most teams play to the level of their opponents,'' Cox coach Bruce Stewart said. ``We played well today, but we'll be better against better competition.''

Jeff Alberts added five kills and Chris Topham had four kills and five digs for Cox, which now plays Southeastern regular-season champion Western Branch today.

``It's tough to prepare for an opponent you've never seen,'' Stewart said, ``but we've just stuck to the basics in practice, hitting and blocking.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

Deep Creek's Breon Hamlett, center, helps block a spike by Granby's

Chris Wood, right, in Eastern Region boys volleyball action at

Tallwood Tuesday.

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