HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP : USDHS Sweeps Taft, Advances to Semifinals

The University of San Diego High School swept three games from Woodland Hills Taft High School on Tuesday night to advance to the Division III semifinals of the Southern California Regionals in the state girls’ volleyball playoffs.

Second-seeded USDHS, which won a sixth consecutive San Diego Section championship Saturday, defeated Taft, 15-5, 17-15, 15-5, and will play host to No. 3 Orange El Modena on Saturday in the semifinals.

Kate Stockholm, who had 26 kills in the section championship victory over La Jolla, led the Dons (22-1) with 18 kills. Teammate Liz Pharis added 15 kills.

Setter Rose Dowling, the City Western League player of the year, had 46 assists.

USDHS Coach Rob Gorney also cited the defensive play of Megan Dowd and Kara McKeown.

After taking the first game rather easily, the Dons fell behind 13-11 in the second game. After Gorney called a timeout, however, USDHS pulled even at 14-14, then put the game away. The third game held little suspense as the Dons advanced to the semifinals for the second year in a row.

Saturday’s match will probably be played at 3 p.m. since the USDHS football team plays at 7:30 p.m. that day.

In the other Division III match:

Orange El Modena 3, La Jolla 0--Lynnette Anderson had 18 kills, Marni Hichborn had 14 and Melizza Benitez had 41 assists for El Modena (22-2), which won 15-9, 15-13, 18-16, in Orange. La Jolla’s loss spoiled a possible fourth meeting this season between USDHS in the semifinals.

Division IV

Whittier Christian 3, Clairemont 1--Clairemont, which lost, 15-13, 15-3, 7-15, 15-4, was thrown for a loop when its gym had a water leak and the match was moved to Mission Bay High.

Whittier Christian’s Bethany Stidham had 13 consecutive serving points in the final game.

Division V

Christian 3, San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret’s 2--In its first match in the school’s new gymnasium, Christian won a thriller over St. Margaret’s, 16-14, 14-16, 15-13, 14-16, 15-11, to advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

Tiffany Stutz led the Patriots with 22 kills. Leena Miller added 17 kills, and Amy Van Bibbor had 40 assists.