MARMONTE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS : Four-Star Effort for Westlake : Prep volleyball: Warriors share title with three other teams after three-game victory.

It’s tough to tell which causes more confusion--Westlake High’s defense or the final Marmonte League standings.

In a close call, give the nod to the host Warriors, who completely stymied Thousand Oaks during a 15-2, 15-6, 15-6 volleyball victory Thursday night.

Equally perplexing are the league standings: The Warriors, Lancers, Royal and Agoura all finished with 11-3 league records, creating the first four-way championship in Marmonte history.

None of the teams are assured berths in the Southern Section Division I playoffs, which begin Tuesday. Under playoff guidelines, only the top three teams in each league automatically qualify.

A series of coin flips this morning will determine the league’s three playoff entries.

Regardless, the Warriors--the youngest team in the league with one senior, one junior and a slew of sophomores--celebrated like they had just won the state title.

“For us, being quad-champions is like winning league [outright],” first-year Coach Chris Rundle said.

The Warriors (19-3 overall) have a digging, frustrating defense that refuses to let anything fall on its side of the net, something the Lancers (15-6) found out firsthand.

“They’re not afraid to hit the floor,” Thousand Oaks Coach Robert Haar said. “They’re probably the best defensive team in the league.”

The Lancers were without standout outside hitter Courtney Miller, who did not play because of internal school issues, according to Haar.

Megan Mullen had five blocks and Marcy Davis had 12 digs for Westlake. Heather Hutchinson (10) and Kara Block (seven) combined for 17 kills.

Thousand Oaks had only 17 kills, seven by Crystal Crawford.