PREP VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP : El Toro Gets Revenge by Sweeping Capistrano Valley

El Toro High School suffered its only loss in the South Coast League girls’ volleyball race three weeks ago when the Chargers were swept in three games by Capistrano Valley.

The Chargers returned the favor Thursday.

El Toro, ranked fifth in Orange County, pulled into a tie for the league lead with a 15-0, 17-15, 15-9 victory over fourth-ranked Capistrano Valley at El Toro.

The victory gave the Chargers (12-3, 7-1 in league) a shot at the league title with two games remaining. Capistrano Valley dropped to 13-5, 7-1.

Marta Bickert had 12 kills, Michelle Mauney 10 and Jamie Smith added nine in a balanced El Toro attack.

“Today we had six girls kick some serious (butt),” El Toro Coach Mike Jagd said. “Everything we’ve been working on the last few weeks came together.”

After sweeping the first game, El Toro fought back from game point, 15-14, to win the second game. Smith and Wendy Bault each had a kill as El Toro pulled ahead by one, and the game ended on a Capistrano Valley hitting error.

El Toro took control early in the third game, building a 7-2 lead behind the hitting of Bickert and Smith.

Jagd said he was at fault in El Toro’s earlier loss to Capistrano Valley.

“I screwed up because I went with a different rotation every game,” he said. “That confused us and we went out hesitant.

“But right now, we’re playing as well as can be expected. We have beaten Mira Costa, Laguna Beach and lost to Corona del Mar in five games.”

Tobi Roquemore and Tanya Mitchell each had nine kills and Allyson Carpenter added eight for Capistrano Valley.