PREP VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP : Cypress Outlasts Los Alamitos, Takes First Place

After nearly 2 1/2 hours of comebacks, momentum changes and letdowns, the Cypress High girls’ volleyball team finally took control of the match--and the Empire League race.

Cypress rallied from deficits of 8-1 and 13-8 in the fourth game for a 12-15, 15-12, 14-16, 16-14, 15-11 victory over Los Alamitos Tuesday night at Cypress.

“I don’t ever want to go through that again,” Cypress Coach Jerry Gregg said. “This was typical of the matches we’ve had with Los Alamitos.”

Cypress, 9-2 and ranked eighth in Southern Section Division II, took over sole possession of first place in league play at 5-0. Los Alamitos, ranked fourth in Division II, dropped to 7-2, 4-1. The teams meet again in the season finale Nov. 5.

Senior middle blocker Heather Lowe, who finished with a match-high 28 kills, led Cypress’ fourth-game comeback. Lowe had three kills and Pam Hause added an ace as Cypress erased an 8-1 deficit and took a 14-13 lead.

A block by Los Alamitos setter Luann Petix tied it, 14-14, but an ace by Melissa Daerr and a hitting error by Los Alamitos’ Midori Bruel gave Cypress the game.

Cypress built a 7-3 lead in the fifth game, but Los Alamitos cut it to 13-11 before the match ended on consecutive hitting errors by Maria Bowden.

Bowden had 20 kills and Bruel added 15 to lead Los Alamitos. Petix added 40 assists, eight kills and two aces.