2008 State Volleyball Championship Recaps
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Bren Events Center, University of California Irvine
DIVISION I
LA COSTA CANYON (Carslbad) def.
HOMESTEAD (Cupertino) 25-16, 25-16, 25-19
Displaying their characteristic cool, the Mavericks did what they always do: pass flawlessly, dig with determination, set the right hitter, hit hard and, above all, never get rattled. The result was a 25-16, 25-16, 25-19 win in the California Division I championship match.
“We played as well as we could against that team,” said Homestead coach Matt Hoffman, whose Mustangs also were making their initial appearance in the state finals. “They just don’t make mistakes. They make you beat them. You’ve really got to score all 25 of the points just about.”
LCC got off to a fast start in Game 1, building a 10-4 lead on the strength of two kills and two blocks from MB Natalie Loos, then essentially traded points the rest of the way. Game 2 was closer, with Homestead getting the better of the play until Loos put the Mavericks on top with a flurry of kills set up expertly by junior Kendall Polan, who was named match MVP. The game remained close until serving specialists Sam Slavinksy stepped behind the line and rattled off the game’s final seven points, two on aces.
Another fast start to Game 3 removed all doubt that this would be La Costa Canyon’s night. The 6-1 lead grew to 23-14 thanks to six Lydia Rudnick kills. Homestead scored five in a row to make it interesting, two on Kat Fischer kills and two on Tori Carroll aces, but that was about the only vulnerable moment LCC allowed itself. After a serving error produced match point, Katie Fuller split the defense from the right to send the Mavericks home as champions.
Fuller, Rudnick and Loos combined for 33 kills for the Mavericks, who also got four kills and 11 digs from junior OH Natalie Hagglund, the team’s emotional leader. But it was Polan’s setting that spelled the difference.
“I thought they did a good job of distributing the ball,” said Fischer.
“[Polan] does things I tell my team a setter cannot do,” Hoffman added.
Fischer had a match-high 17 kills for Homestead, which celebrated its second-place finish more than most state runners-up.
“La Costa Canyon just won the national title,” Hoffman said. “I guess you could say it took the best team in the country to beat us.”
MVP: Kendall Polan, La Costa Canyon
All-Tournament: Katherine Fischer, Homestead; Katie Fuller, Natalie Hagglund and Natalie Loos, La Costa Canyon
Sportsmanship Award: Melissa Cheng, Homestead; Laura Watt, La Costa Canyon
DIVISION II
ARCHBISHOP MITTY (San Jose) def.
REDLANDS EAST VALLEY 25-21, 25-23, 25-21
Archbishop Mitty and Redlands East Valley were evenly matched for most of the Division II championship match. But Mitty won the ultimate points to come away with the win, 25-21,
25-23, 25-21, its first state title since 2004.
The experience was clearly on the side of the Monarchs, who were making their sixth straight finals appearance, and it showed in crunch time against a tall, talented Wildcat squad making its first trip to the state finals. Game 2 was tied at 23-all until two REV errors gave Mitty the win. The third set was deadlocked at 20 apiece before the Monarchs closed out the match on a 5-1 run.
“We’ve played in a lot of matches this year that have been like that,” said Monarchs coach Bret Almazan-Cezar, “where you have to side out when it matters.”
“They seemed more calm,” said REV coach Tricia Vansant. “We were a little more chaotic on our side. Everything being new and different for us I definitely think played a big role.”
Rachel Williams was named tourney MVP after launching 13 kills, many out of broken plays from the back row, but the honor might as easily have been bestowed upon libero Morgan O’Neill, who recorded 20 digs and saved the Monarchs with highlight reel digs several times each set; or OH Kristina Graven, who played well at the net -- with 11 kills and four blocks -- and on defense, with 10 digs.
“Their libero was amazing,” said REV senior middle Tori Brummett. “She was everywhere.”
Sophomore OH Krista Vansant had 14 kills and 12 digs to lead REV, which also got eight kills from Brummett. No other Wildcat had more than three.
“That team was very defensive,” Coach Vansant said of Mitty. “They were solid all the way around.”
REV libero Kyla Oropeza was sometimes spectacular in the back row, recording 11 digs, but, despite being very tall, the Wildcats did not block Mitty effectively.
“Our secondary offense from the back row confused their block a lot,” Almazan-Cezar said. “And [setter] Joan Caloiaro did a good job of finding the smaller block.”
Mitty’s win completes a season in which the Monarchs got rid of two monkeys on their backs. They twice defeated Mira Costa, the team that had defeated them in the last three Division II finals. And they won state.
“I cried,” said Almazan-Cezar. “It’s just a great bunch of kids to be around.”
MVP: Rachel Williams, Archbishop Mitty
All-Tournament: Morgan O'Neill and Taylor Smith, Archbishop Mitty; Johnna Fouch and Krista Vansant, Redlands East Valley
Sportsmanship Award: Ryan Shaffer, Archbishop Mitty; Caitlin Fee, Redlands East Valley
DIVISION III
CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC (San Diego) def.
SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (San Francisco) 29-27, 20-25, 25-18, 25-14
“To come out with a win in your first state title match is a dream come true,” said Cathedral Catholic coach Kelly Drobeck, who recorded her 300th career victory.
Lexi Williamson delivered the match-winning kill for Cathedral Catholic, a back row blast that capped a virtuoso performance for the senior outside hitter, which included 25 kills, 15 digs and six aces, all match highs. Williamson was at her very best in Game 4, delivering a kill and back-to-back aces to help Cathedral take the lead early on, then striking repeatedly, front row and back, against an exhausted Fightin’ Irish defense that was back on its heels for most of the final two sets.
“In the third and fourth games, we came out with so much more power and they couldn’t stop us,” Drobeck said.
Kelly Reeves and Taylor Milton combined for 24 more kills for Cathedral Catholic and gave setter Rachel Oemcke three solid options in virtually every rotation. The Dons also had a huge advantage behind the service line, serving 14 aces to two for Sacred Heart Cathedral; and on the block, where Cathedral had a 13.5 to four advantage in total blocks.
“The plan was to stay aggressive, trust each other, play hard and have fun,” Said Drobeck.
Nicole Yap and Gabrielle Jolly combined for 40 kills for Sacred Heart Cathedral and setter Fiona Lee led a determined defensive effort with 13 kills. The Fightin’ Irish stood toe to toe with Cathedral Catholic the first two sets before Cathedral’s power wore them down.
“The first game we had the jitters and we were flat in the second game,” Williamson said. “But we came out strong in the third and fourth games [and took it].”
“We battled but we got outplayed today,” said SHC coach Margi Beima. “Hats off to Lexi Williamson because she was excellent all the way around.”
MVP: Lexi Williamson, Cathedral Catholic
All-Tournament: Gabrielle Jolly and Nicole Yap, Sacred Heart Cathedral; Taylor Milton and Kelly Reeves, Cathedral Catholic
Sportsmanship Award: Fiona Lee, Sacred Heart Cathedral; Caitlin Conners
DIVISION IV
SANTA FE CHRISTIAN (Solana Beach) def.
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS (Sacramento) 25-13, 25-19, 25-16
On the second point of the Division IV final between Santa Fe Christian and Christian Brothers, senior middle blocker Jenny DeVries served an ace for SFC. She then served another. Two points later, Kiki Miller served her first ace. Santa Fe Christian added seven more ace serves in the first two games, setting the tone for a 25-13, 25-19, 25-16 sweep that earned the Eagles their second consecutive state title and fourth in six years.
“The first time is always special,” said Eagles coach Gail Malone. “The second time is just as great. We came here with a mission, ‘Two straight in '08’ and the players lived their dream.”
Santa Fe Christian, which dominated Harker Prep in similar fashion a year ago, was the better team in all phases this afternoon. Senior setter Taylor Johnson was masterful in freeing her hitters for one-on-one or one-on-none opportunities. Miller, who was named MVP after delivering a match-high 17 kills without an error, and all-tournament middle blocker Victoria Adelhelm, who had nine kills and four blocks, were two parts of a strong front line that overpowered Christian Brothers. And libero MacKenzie Gilbert, who finished with 19 digs, did a nice job of keeping CB’s strong attackers at bay.
But Santa Fe Christian’s tough serving and Christian Brothers’ struggles to pass serve were the biggest reasons for the sweep.
“We were unable to consistently set the slide, which is our bread and butter,” said CB coach Jeff Deter. “When we were able to set it, we did score, but we didn’t pass well enough to get into system.”
MB Kayla Neto, a starter as a sophomore for the Falcons’ state runner up team in 2006, played a fine all-around game for Christian Brothers, which also benefited from the strong attacks of Erika Cuevas and Katie Hoeckman. Neto and Hoeckman, who combined for 14 kills, made the all-tournament team.
“It’s disappointing not to play to our potential at state,” Deter said. “But overall it was a very good year.”
Annie Francis supported the strong work of Miller and Adelhelm with five kills and five aces. DeVries added four kills, four aces and the championship-clinching block.
“I wanted to end the game right there,” the senior said. “It felt wonderful.”
MVP: Kristin Miller, Santa Fe Christian
All-Tournament: Katie Hoekman and Kayla Neto, Christian Brothers; Victoria Adelhelm and Taylor Johnson, Santa Fe Christian
Sportsmanship Award: Kelly Pelz, Christian Brothers; Emily Robertson, Santa Fe Christian
DIVISION V
CASTILLEJA (Palo Alto) def. TRI-CITY CHRISTIAN (Vista)
25-15, 22-25, 21-25, 26-24, 16-14
Championship MVP Taylor Docter had 18 kills, including the clincher, as Castilleja capped a Cinderella ending to the 2008 season with its first state title in Division V, a nail-biting 25-15, 22-25, 21-25, 26-24, 16-14 decision over Tri-City Christian.
Castilleja, which entered the state tournament with a 14-16 record, stared match point in the face both in Games 4 and 5 but used senior calm and the experience of having been there before to persevere.
Senior Adrienne Dreyfus, a starter when Casti lost in the finals two years ago, delivered the tying kill in Game 4, which the Gators won on Docter’s roll shot into the corner.
Castilleja didn’t have to do as much to fend off match point in Game 5 – down 14-13, Tri-City’s serve flew into the net – but the Gators sure took advantage of the opportunity. Dreyfus, who had 17 kills, launched her third ace of the match to give Casti match point, setting the stage for Docter’s cross-court blast.
“It was a really great set,” said Docter of the game-winning swing assisted by senior Morgan Jones. “I knew I needed to go up and hit the hardest I could.”
Miranda Ramirez had a match-high 22 kills and libero Marissa Smith was stellar in the back row for Tri-City, which started Game 5 down a point penalty because of a player who forgot her jersey at home.
“You don’t want to start a 15-point game down 1-0,” said Tri-City coach Kristen Wright. “Game 4 was where we let up. That’s where we should have capitalized.”
Castilleja won the first set easily, but dropped the next two before rallying to win.
“We struggled in Games 2 and 3,” said Gator coach Tracie Meskell, “but in the pressure time, the team showed its tenacity. We made errors but we also scored the points when we needed to.”
“It was a battle,” said Wright. “That’s the kind of championship atmosphere you want to be in.”
MVP: Taylor Docter, Castilleja
All-Tournament: Erin McLaughlin and Morgan Jones, Castilleja; Miranda Ramirez and Marissa Smith, Tri-City Christian
Sportsmanship Award: Erin McLaughlin, Castilleja; Taylor Mehl, Tri-City Christian
recaps courtesy of John Tawa, PrepVolleyball.com