Roundup : Poway’s 4th Match With Torrey Pines Will Decide Division I Championship

Heather Collins doesn’t look as if she would be the star player for Poway High School’s top-ranked and undefeated volleyball team.

Tall (5 feet 9 inches) and thin, with long arms, amber hair, freckles and braces, Collins looks much younger than a sophomore in high school.

But Collins has led Poway in kills most of the season, and she did it again Wednesday night as the Titans advanced to the San Diego Section Division I volleyball final with a 15-6, 15-9, 15-13 victory over Granite Hills at San Pasqual.

In Saturday night’s final, Poway will play Torrey Pines, a 18-16, 15-7, 11-15, 15-9 winner over Serra Wednesday.

“She’s going to be a really, really, really good player,” Poway Coach Lisa Reis said of Collins. “She’s not afraid. She’s never nervous. You see her out there, she wants the ball.”

Whenever Poway (24-0) needed a side out or point, setter Amy Boyer pushed the ball Collins’ way, and Collins didn’t disappoint, recording a game-high 16 kills.

“I was really fired up for this game,” she said. “More than usual.”

Reis said that was only half true for her team, which has only lost 3 games all season.

“Half of the team played well and half did not play well,” Reis said. “I never at any point felt like we weren’t going to win.”

In the third game, Poway trailed, 12-6, as Granite Hills’ 6-2 hitter, Laura Becker (7 kills), began to control the net. Reis called timeout. Poway closed to 8-13, senior Paige Smith went back to serve and Poway scored 7 consecutive points--3 on Smith aces--to close out the match and set up a fourth meeting with Torrey Pines; Poway has won the previous 3 meetings, losing just one game.

Granite Hills finished 23-6.

Torrey Pines (30-3) came out nervous against Lynn Patrick and Serra (25-6). Serra led, 16-15, but Torrey Pines’ Lisa Jhung got a kill, Patrick hit out and Jhung killed again for the victory.

Patrick was nearly a one-player team, recording 29 kills and 9 blocks, and it was enough to win a game but not a match. Sophomore Amy Peters led Torrey Pines with 17 kills.

Saturday’s section finals at University City High will be Division III at 3 p.m., Division II at 5 and Division I at 7.

Division II Semifinals

Claire Randel had 9 kills and 4 aces to lead La Jolla past Oceanside, 15-7, 15-13, 15-2, at Torrey Pines and into the finals for the seventh consecutive year.

La Jolla will meet USDHS for the third year in a row in the championship match. USDHS, which has beaten La Jolla the past 2 years, eliminated Escondido, 15-10, 15-8, 15-6.

Division III Semifinals

Anne Girolami and Carla Ceja had 11 kills apiece to lead Marian past Christian, 15-7, 5-15, 15-1, 15-12, at University City High. In the final, Marian will meet top-seeded Francis Parker, which defeated Calvin Christian, 15-8, 15-6, 15-10.