HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL / CALABASAS INVITATIONAL : Nordhoff Girls Outlast L. A. Baptist to Take Title

It had been five years since the Nordhoff High girls’ volleyball team last won a tournament title--in the Calabasas Invitational. But the Rangers ended their drought Saturday by defeating L. A. Baptist, 15-12, in the final.

Junior middle blocker Kortney Rogers led Nordhoff through pool play and four games of sudden-death championship competition with her dominating hitting and blocking and was named most valuable player as the Rangers went undefeated.

“I thought if we had gone this far, we should win the whole thing,” Rogers said. “I want to win the state championship this year. I’m going for the gold. Step by step, we can take it.”

L. A. Baptist and Nordhoff emerged from pool play as the top two seeded teams after winning eight games each, and both teams continued to show championship form as they worked toward the final.

Nordhoff’s multifaceted attack, paced by Allison Kerr, who had six kills, and its near-impenetrable defense was too much for the Knights in the final as the Rangers jumped to an 11-6 lead and held on.

A Holly Teter ace gave Nordhoff a 12-7 advantage, but six other scoring opportunities were unsuccessful.

An Allison Nofrey kill off a Sami Sawyer quick set made it 13-8 and Joanna Sandefur added a kill off a Jana Rigby set to make it 14-8.

But L.A. Baptist, a Southern Section 1-A semifinalist last year, dug in behind the hitting of Lucrieta Haynes and Sarah Rameson to close to 14-12.

After Rogers got a sideout for the Rangers with her fourth kill of the game, Knight setter Michelle Pistone was unable to control a pass off a Sandefur serve and Nordhoff closed out the match.

Nordhoff knocked off Canyon, 15-11, in the semifinals; L. A. Baptist hammered Ventura, 15-8, in the other bracket. Canyon, behind the play of senior outside hitter Juli Mosier and middle blocker Gina Sanchez beat Ventura, 15-5, for third place.