GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL / CITY SECTION 3-A DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP : Everding, Van Nuys Sweep Away Marshall, Failures of Years Past

With senior outside hitter Cora Everding leading the procession, the Van Nuys girls’ volleyball team finally reached the promised land Friday evening at Cal State Northridge, sweeping longtime nemesis Marshall, 16-14, 15-5, 15-11, for the City Section 3-A Division title.

Overcoming a nervous start and a tentative finish, top-seeded Van Nuys (15-1) finally defeated a Marshall squad that had knocked the Wolves out of the playoffs in the semifinals the past two years and the quarterfinals three years ago.

And Everding provided the key with 13 digs and a match-high 13 kills, taking some of the pressure off outside hitter Jenna Panatier, the Wolves’ season kill leader.

Panatier still contributed 12 kills and added a team-leading 17 of Van Nuys’ season-high 72 digs.

But early on, it looked as if third-seeded Marshall (15-2) might frustrate the Wolves again. Barrister middle blocker Cindy Wong started the match with a stuff block of a Panatier shot and two kills, and Marshall rode the momentum of the 3-0 start to a 7-2 lead.

That advantage disappeared, however, when Amy Kim of Van Nuys ran off 10 straight points to push the Wolves ahead, 12-7. Marshall rallied to tie it, 14-14, before a pair of hitting errors gave Van Nuys the game.

Van Nuys took the second game in short order and raced ahead, 10-4, in the third. But the Barristers dug in, whittling away at the lead to tie the score, 11-11.

But a Marshall hitting error gave Van Nuys the serve and Panatier gave the Wolves another lead, 14-11, with three booming serves that led to two aces and a Susie Chambers kill.

“I decided if I was going to serve, it was going to be hard or not at all,” Panatier said.

That left it for Everding to put the match away with a thunderous kill off a pair of Marshall blockers.