In Theory, It’s Just Another Team : 2-A final: Top-seeded Calvary Chapel has overcome deficiencies, however, and will face Whittier Christian for championship today.

Theoretically speaking, it would be easy to write off Calvary Chapel High School’s volleyball team as just another doormat in the Southern Section 2-A playoffs.

Here’s why:

Theory No. 1 . With an average height of 5-feet-10, the Eagle players are strong candidates for a Mikasa lobotomy when they come to the net.

Theory No. 2 . The Eagles have no depth. With only seven varsity players, Coach Jim Downey gets lonely on the bench.

Theory No. 3. The players lack playoff experience. The program’s only in its second year.

So much for theories. The Eagles have spiked them through the hardwood this season.

The top-seeded Eagles (17-2) will play second-seeded Whittier Christian in the Southern Section 2-A championship game at 3 p.m. today at Cerritos College.

It will be the fourth meeting this season between the Olympic League rivals. Calvary Chapel beat Whittier Christian, 17-15, in the finals of the Los Alamitos tournament this year.

They also split two regular-season meetings and shared the Olympic League title. Calvary Chapel was top-seeded for the playoffs because the Eagles won the last league match.

Both league matches lasted five games and took nearly three hours.

The long matches haven’t worn down Calvary Chapel’s thin lineup. At least no one on the team has to worry about riding the bench very long.

“Everybody plays,” Downey said. “We’ve brought up a couple junior varsity players to play some back row on the varsity. Fortunately, nobody has been injured.”

In contrast, Whittier Christian, in its seventh year, features 11 varsity players as well as junior varsity and freshman teams.

“We started our freshman team three years ago,” said Dave Herron, who has coached the varsity since the program began in 1985.

“We’re just now starting to reap the benefits of that team on our varsity. Some of our best players--Aaron Sohegian, Brandon Blevins and Troy Biehl--came up through those programs.”

Calvary Chapel also must contend with Whittier Christian’s height advantage. The Heralds’ average height is 6-2, three inches taller than the Eagles’.

Calvary Chapel’s top hitter is junior Danny Neumann, a 6-foot outside hitter averaging 12 kills a match.

Whittier Christian’s top player is junior Adam McIlhenny, a 6-2 outside hitter averaging 16 kills a match. Sohegian, a 6-4 outside hitter, averages 13 kills, and junior setter Aaron Forrister is among the best in the division.

“I’d like to think we’re a power team,” Herron said. “We hit the ball real well the first two rounds of the playoffs.”