SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VOLLEYBALL REGIONAL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION IV : Eagles Again Make Victory Look Easy

Calvary Chapel continued along its road to the State finals with a 15-2, 15-7, 15-6 victory over visiting Sierra Madre Maranatha on Saturday in a Southern California Regional quarterfinal match.

And this was on an “off” night.

“We weren’t very focused,” Eagle Coach Jim Downey said. “We didn’t play very well, and we certainly didn’t serve very well.

“We just have a lot of places to go, a lot of people to go to.”

Calvary Chapel (19-4) committed 16 service errors, but its defense was impenetrable. And its offense was unemotional, but flawless.

“We were thankful for little things,” Maranatha assistant coach Gary Yee said. “They didn’t have their usual stellar serving effort but everything else . . . they run their (defensive) plays, and what can you do? And obviously they kill the ball.”

Calvary Chapel will play Tollhouse Sierra, a 15-7, 15-4, 11-15, 15-10 winner over Santa Ynez, in the regional final Tuesday at Calvary Chapel.

The Eagles’ Courtney Owens and Jenny Roberts each had 12 kills--a total of six more than the entire Maranatha team. Calvary Chapel also had six team blocks. The Minutemen had two.

The Eagles returned four of five starters from last year’s Southern Section Division V championship team. Only setter Kensy Zulueta is a newcomer. The junior managed two kills, a solo block and 36 assists.

Owens took a 1-1 tie and served for five straight points in the first game, and after allowing one more point on a defensive error, held the Minutemen for the rest of the game.

Maranatha took a 2-0 lead in the second game, then came within one, 8-7, but Lynn Lovingier came to the line and led the Eagles on a 6-0 scoring run--to match point--and Owens dinked the ball for the game.

Maranatha (19-4) went on a 5-0 spree at the start of Game 3, but was unable to withstand the Eagle attack; the teams tied, 6-6, and the Minutemen were stopped cold.

After the match, Yee glanced at the Calvary Chapel players, who were taking down the nets and visiting with family and friends.

“I think that’s your State champion, right there,” he said.