Freshman Helps Calvary Chapel to Title : Volleyball: Owens is key player in Eagles’ comeback victory for a second consecutive championship.

Three points away from a 2-0 deficit in games in the state championship, the Calvary Chapel girls’ volleyball team needed a spark, but who would deliver it?

Its 6-foot-2, NCAA Division I-caliber, senior middle blocker?

Its two-time, first-team Southern Section selection senior setter?

How about . . . its freshman reserve?

With spindly legs and a steady serve, freshman outside hitter Amy Owens served three consecutive aces to spark the Eagles to a come-from-behind victory in the second game. After that, Calvary Chapel rolled to a 5-15, 15-13, 15-12, 15-3 victory over Linden in the Division IV final at Cal State Fullerton.

“Amy served very well in key spots of the match,” Coach Jim Downey said. “I’m very proud of her.”

It was the second consecutive state championship for Calvary Chapel and most of the credit for the team’s success goes to Jenny Roberts, a 6-2 senior middle blocker. Roberts, who has orally committed to Hawaii, was selected the most valuable player of the championship match. She had a record 25 kills in the final, breaking the former record for a Division IV final of 22 set by San Jose Archbishop Mitty’s Kerri Walsh in 1993.

Although Roberts’ hitting prowess was essential for the victory, it was Owens’ serving that kept the Eagles (19-2) in the match.

“That’s what is neat about our team,” said Kensy Zulueta, the Eagles’ dependable senior setter. “It’s not just two people, it’s a whole team effort.”

With the Eagles trailing, 12-6, in the second game, Owens substituted for starter Clarice Torrey. In addition to Owens’ three aces, Roberts had a kill and Linden had two hitting errors as Calvary Chapel went on a 6-0 run to tie the score. Zulueta dumped a set over the net and after Linden scored on a kill by Diana Jensen, Torrey served two more aces to win the game.

For Linden, which does not start a player over 5-11, passing and ball control were the key to its success.

“We’ve got several strengths, we’re very quick, very experienced and we fit together very well and in order for us to make use of those attributes, we’ve got to pass the ball very well,” Linden Coach Bill Rood said. “We did pass the ball well in the first and part of the second game, but then their serving got tough. When we can’t pass well, we become fodder.”

Linden took a 5-1 lead in the third game, but Jill Overby had four kills to spark Calvary Chapel on a 10-2 scoring run to take the lead, 11-7. Linden came to within one point, 11-10, on a kill by Jensen, an ace by Natalie Reyes and a Calvary Chapel hitting error.

Then, Roberts had a kill and a block and Torrey served an ace to bring up game point, which Calvary Chapel lost when Roberts hit it wide. Three more Calvary Chapel hitting errors resulted in one more squandered game point and two more points for Linden before Zulueta served an ace to win the game.

Roberts had a total of eight kills in the fourth game as Calvary Chapel jumped to a 10-1 lead and never looked back.

The state title provided redemption for Calvary Chapel, which was the Division V state runner-up in 1993 and won the state Division IV title last year before being upset in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section tournament this season. The Eagles were awarded an at-large berth to the state tournament.

“It feels even better [than winning the state title last year],” Downey said. “We had to work a lot harder for it. I think the more the trials, the sweeter the victory.”

Linden (29-2) won the Division III state title in 1990 and finished as runner-up in 1988 and 1989. The Lions were led by Reyes, a senior outside hitter who had a record 25 digs, breaking the former Division IV final record of 19 set by Sara Johnson of El Molino Forestville in 1992. Linden also set a team record for digs with 96, shattering the former record of 55 set by Calvary Chapel in 1993.