DIVISION II VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS : Torrey Pines Defeats Huntington Beach Edison

When you get to state, the level of play changes enough that you adjust accordingly. Or you struggle.

Torrey Pines adjusted just fine.

The result was a 15-3, 3-15, 15-9, 15-11 Division II Southern California Regionals girls’ volleyball first-round victory Tuesday night against Huntington Beach Edison at Torrey Pines.

In fact, the Falcons (25-6) played what they agreed was one of their best matches to date.

“I think so,” senior outside hitter Crystal Vazzana said. “This was good for us. We had to work hard.”

Not that Torrey Pines cruised to get here. But since Saturday’s San Diego Section title, Falcon Coach Jim Harrah made his team believe that state tournament is a different kind of ballgame.

“You don’t know anything about these teams,” said Vazzana, who had 15 kills and 16 serving points. “Coach was telling us that you have to anticipate (tougher matches). You have to be polished.”

Aside from an awkward second game, Torrey Pines was polished as fine oak furniture. As it had done throughout the section playoffs, the Falcons served, passed, and set tough.

“When you get to the state level, you have to play better. Overall, I think we played extremely well,” Harrah said.

Edison (19-4) didn’t. But the losing didn’t bug the Sunset League champion as much as how it finished the season.

“This was not our team,” said kill leader Brooke Weaver, who had 18. “Usually we’re really hungry. This time we weren’t. I don’t know why.”

Weaver answered her question, saying the Chargers had difficulty adjusting after their starting setter quit last week.

“It was the first match she’s missed,” Weaver said. “With our lineup mixed up, our timing may have been a little off.”

Like Torrey Pines’ was in that second game, where Edison capitalized on poor passing (two points), a bad set, a bad dig, a net violation and a double hit (one point apiece), and hitting errors (two points).

“I told them to settle down,” Harrah said. “We stopped playing smart.”

Junior Carey May, who had 14 kills and four blocks for Torrey Pines, said the snafu was temporary overconfidence.

“Let’s just say we lost our intensity a little,” she said.

Edison led, 6-2, in the fourth game and looked to force a fifth. But Torrey Pines roared back and won it on match point No. 3, when an Edison shot went wide.