Lady Eagles going for CIF three-peat

A total of five South County girls volleyball teams advanced to this week’s division semifinal matches, including three from the Metro Conference. That’s a significant number, especially when considering that four of them will be playing for division championships this weekend.

Leading the pack are Olympian High School’s high-flying Lady Eagles, who will be making their third consecutive trip to a section finals match.

Top-seeded Olympian (24-9) advanced by holding off fourth-seeded Rancho Bernardo in a grueling five-set thriller on Wednesday by scores of 25-18, 23-25, 25-16, 19-25, 15-3 to advance to Saturday’s Division II championship match against third-seeded Mt. Carmel (24-11).

“It’s shocking,” OHS senior Lauren Appelman said after Wednesday’s semifinal victory. “I didn’t think it would happen. I gave it a one-in-a-million shot to get there a third time.”

“It’s hard for teams to do it three times,” senior libero Yvette Macias explained. “It’s a surreal feeling to come together as a team to win this. We played our hearts out and left our hearts on the floor.”

Johanna Langarica led the Lady Eagles with 16 kills in the marathon set while Appelman contributed 15 kills and six blocks.

The teams traded victories on the court to complement their evenness. The hosts built a 4-1 advantage in the deciding fifth game but the Lady Broncos (18-14) stormed back to tie the game three times before the Lady Eagles finally managed to build a two-point lead.

The North County visitors narrowed the score to a single-point margin four times in the set. But each time Olympian managed to score the next point.

“It was a great game,” explained OHS head coach Mauricio Martinez, whose team defeated Patrick Henry and Escondido in preceding playoff rounds. “Both teams put up a great fight. It came down to which team made the least mistakes.

“When it came to the playoffs, a lot of the girls started to fill their roles and supply leadership.”
The Lady Eagles won the Division III title in 2014 and captured the Division II championship last season en route to posting a runner-up finish in the state finals.

Finals bound
Otay Ranch was the first of the group to punch its ticket to the finals after surviving a five-game challenge from Westview in Tuesday’s Division I semifinals. The Lady Mustangs (27-6) will face second-seeded Del Norte (21-10) in Saturday’s division championship game.
It marks the second time in three years that Otay Ranch has advanced to a division final.

History-makers
Top-seeded Chula Vista Learning Community Charter (20-0) will face second-seeded San Diego Academy (13-10) in Friday’s Division V finals in a match-up between two South County private schools.

Lady Mustangs return to division finals after one-year hiatus

The Otay Ranch High School girls volleyball team ended its 2014 season with a runner-up finish to Ramona High School in the San Diego Section Division II championship game after upsetting the second- and third-seeded teams in the bracket.

The Lady Mustangs, seeded fourth in this year’s Division I playoff bracket, have returned to the section finals after fending off a ferocious challenge from eighth-seeded Westview in Tuesday’s semifinals. Otay Ranch won the five-game thriller 25-19, 25-15, 17-25, 23-25, 15-12.

The Lady Mustangs (27-6) will face second-seeded Del Norte (21-10) in Saturday’s Division I championship game at Cathedral Catholic High School. Match time is 4 p.m.

Otay Ranch won the first two games to take a commanding 2-0 lead in Tuesday’s semifinal match-up before the Lady Wolverines (17-16) rallied to tie the score 2-2. The deciding fifth game was hotly contested before the hosts nailed down a three-point win to clinch a berth in Saturday’s title contest.

Karen Cordero recorded 23 kills to lead the Lady Mustangs while Ryann Mojica tacked on 11 kills. Elise Ramirez served five aces while Angela Toledo had six blocks.

Digs leaders included Grecia Cordero (33), Karen Cordero (24) and Arizahi Garciamolinero (17).

Shannon Casey led the team with 43 assists.

Otay Ranch will be looking for its fourth consecutive win in the playoffs after previously turning back challenges from 13th-seeded Scripps Ranch (three games to two) in first-round play on Nov. 1, 12th-seeded Poway (three games to two) in the quarterfinal round on Nov. 4 and now Westview.

Del Norte has defeated 15th-seeded Valhalla, seventh-seeded Point Loma and third-seeded West Hills in its three playoff encounters so far.

Karen Cordero leads Otay Ranch with 393 kills while Grecia Cordero leads the team with 648 assists.

San Diego Section
Girls Volleyball Finals

Friday, Nov. 11
Canyon Crest Academy

Division V

(1) Chula Vista Learning Community Charter (21-0) defeated (2) San Diego Academy (13-11), 25-10, 25-11, 25-15
Note: CVLCC wins first-ever CIF division championship

Division IV
(1) Maranatha Christian (25-3) defeated (3) Horizon Christian Academy (17-5) 3 games to 2


Saturday, Nov. 12
Cathedral Catholic High School

Division III
(1) El Capitan (24-4) defeated (3) Classical Academy (23-8) 25-21, 25-17, 19-25, 25-20

Division II
(1) Olympian (25-9) defeated (3) Mt. Carmel (24-12) 25-22, 25-13, 25-14

Division I
(2) Del Norte (22-10) defeated (4) Otay Ranch (27-7) 25-16, 26-24, 27-25 

Open Division
(4) Santa Fe Christian (30-7) defeated (3) La Costa Canyon (23-10) 25-23, 25-15, 25-14