PREP VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP : Corona del Mar Has to Rally to Stop Fired-Up University

Emotion couldn’t carry the University girls’ volleyball team far enough against Corona del Mar in a key Sea View League match Tuesday night at Corona del Mar.

The Sea Kings rallied from a 7-1 deficit in the fifth game against the fired-up Trojans for a 13-15, 15-6, 15-7, 5-15, 15-10 victory. It marked the 15th consecutive league victory over two years for Corona del Mar (8-6, 5-0), and prevented University (6-6, 3-2) from gaining a share of first place.

“University came in here to kick our butts, and that streak almost ended,” Corona del Mar Coach Mark Rivadeneyra said. “I knew they were a good team, and they were even better tonight because they played so hard.”

In the end, however, Corona del Mar’s outside hitting attack overcame University’s strong defense and serving. The Trojans, who easily won the fourth game, appeared in control of the match after jumping to a 7-1 lead in the fifth.

At that point, Corona del Mar outside hitters Charmayne Conley and Jennifer Stroffe took over. The duo combined for eight kills during a 12-1 Sea King run, which gave them the lead for good at 13-8.

Stroffe, a 5-9 sophomore, came off the bench to lead the Sea Kings with 26 kills. Conley added 24, as setters Caren McKinley and Kim Coleman consistently set up outside.

“We didn’t have much choice but to set outside because our passing was pretty bad,” Rivadeneyra said. “We were setting six feet off the net almost all night, and that takes the middle right out of the offense.”

University’s defense made a number of spectacular saves to counter many of Corona del Mar’s hits, and Trojan hitters Holiday Molway and Shelby Samuelsen increased the momentum with consistently strong kills. Molway finished with 15 kills and Samuelsen 12.