State Girls’ Volleyball Finals : San Gabriel Is Forgiven and Not Forgotten in Its Win

When the San Gabriel High School girls’ volleyball team lost a nonleague match to Arcadia earlier this season, there was disappointment, more than normal. It was the only time this year that Coach Larry Kanow had upped the pressure and asked the Matadors to win.

Saturday night, Rachel Norris, San Gabriel’s 6-foot 4-inch star, turned to Kanow and looked a reprieve. “You’re going to forgive us now, right?” she asked.

The answer, in resounding fashion, was yes. The Matadors had earned at least that much.

Actually, they got more. By beating obviously overmatched Harbor High of Santa Cruz, 15-6, 15-3, 15-11, San Gabriel claimed the state Division II championship before a crowd of 2,000 at Cal State Fullerton.

The key for the Matadors, as it has been so often, was Norris. She seemed virtually unstoppable against the smaller Harbor team, finishing with 23 kills, 17 more than anyone else.

No surprises there.

“The only thing we heard all week in Santa Cruz was Rachel Norris, Rachel Norris, Rachel Norris,” Harbor Coach Jim Reilly said. “She is a superb player. But the team was a lot better. They made hardly any errors.”

Added Harbor’s Jenny Liston: “I knew from a week ago it would be unfair. Every time I put up a block, she hit around me.”

With Trang Nguyen setting most of the way, San Gabriel (23-1) finished with a very good .350 hitting percentage. June Agus supported Norris’ efforts with five kills. Harbor (24-4), from the Central Coast Section had 20 kills and 20 errors.

“I thought we played really well,” Kanow said. “June played probably her best match of the year. She hasn’t hit that hard ever. They (Harbor) are a good team, but they don’t have the guns to stay with us, especially Rachel at the net. But no one has this year.”

Irvine, the Southern Section 4-A champion, beat previously unbeaten Newport Harbor, the 5-A winner, 15-6, 11-15, 15-13, 15-13, in an exciting match for the Division I title.

Irvine, the first 4-A team to reach the state Division I final since the Southern Section expanded to five divisions in 1984, finished 20-2. Newport Harbor is 21-1.

In the Division III match, Francis Parker of San Diego (26-3) won its second consecutive championship by beating St. Helena of the Sac-Joaquin Section, 15-13, 10-15, 15-2, 15-6. St. Helena (18-7) had won the title in 1982 and ’84.

Tina Harris and Heidi West led Francis Parker with 17 and 15 kills, respectively.