STATE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Three O.C. Teams to Play for Titles Today at Fullerton

The La Habra girls’ volleyball team will be playing for its third consecutive State title today.

Capistrano Valley Christian will be playing for its first title.

And El Toro will be trying to win its first title for its departing coach.

Two-time defending champion La Habra will be among three Orange County teams competing at the State championships today at Cal State Fullerton.

The Highlanders (24-2) will take a 20-match winning streak into the Division II final against San Jose Leland (26-4) at 5 p.m.

La Habra, led by 6-foot-5 outside hitter Zrinka Kristich, has a chance to become the fourth team to win three State volleyball titles. The other three-time champions are Rim of the World in Division II (1981-83), Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in Division I (1982, ’85 and ‘89) and Francis Parker in Division III (1986-88).

El Toro (21-4) is in the State finals for the first time, meeting Lakewood St. Joseph (20-1) in the Division I championship match at 7 p.m. It will be the last match for El Toro Coach Mike Jagd, who has said he will resign at the end of the season to pursue a doctorate’s degree at Colorado.

The Chargers, led by outside hitters Jaime Smith and Wendy Balut, advanced to the finals despite playing on the road throughout the State and Southern Section playoffs. They played at Santa Barbara in the first round of the section tournament, and at Poway, Arroyo Grande and Mountain View St. Francis during the State tournament.

The Division I finalists are no strangers. El Toro defeated St. Joseph in four games in the section semifinals before losing to Laguna Beach in the championship match.

Like St. Joseph, Capistrano Valley Christian also came back from a semifinal loss in the section tournament. Capistrano Valley Christian (19-2) will meet Atherton Sacred Heart (23-6) in the Division V championship match at 9 a.m.

The Eagles are led by hitters Karen Benkowski and Kathleen Bunce.