Little Lindquist a Big Spark for Ocean View

She is just 5 feet 5 and a sophomore, but what Tracy Lindquist lacks in height and experience, she makes up for with determination.

Lindquist slid on her knees to make perfect passes, dumped back-sets over the net for kills and dived headlong every which way for digs to spark Ocean View to a 16-14, 15-12, 15-7 victory over El Modena in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division III-AA girls’ volleyball tournament.

Lindquist, a setter, ended the night with 39 assists, eight digs and seven kills in the match at Ocean View High, but the modest statistics don’t tell the whole story of her efforts.

“She’s always like that,” Ocean View Coach Tim Mennealy said. “Tonight, I think everyone had a little flat spot in her game except Tracy. She’s just very determined. She doesn’t allow anything to interfere with that determination.”

El Modena tried.

The Vanguards took a 6-1 lead in the first game before Ocean View came back to tie it, 8-8. Later, it was tied, 13-13, before an El Modena hitting error gave Ocean View a game-point opportunity.

After Seahawk Alicia Slater hit one long for a Vanguard sideout, Michelle Armstrong and Kim Frederick combined on a Vanguard block to tie it, 14-14.

The teams traded sideouts before Seahawk Amy Knebel had a kill to bring up another game-point opportunity. Sara Pollaro won it by tapping the ball around the Vanguard block.

Ocean View took a 6-1 lead in the second game, but El Modena came back to tie it, 6-6. Tied, 8-8, El Modena had three hitting errors to give Ocean View a three-point lead, 11-8. The Vanguards never got closer than two points the rest of the game.

El Modena didn’t cave in, taking a 5-1 lead in the third game. But Ocean View tied it, 5-5, and things began to click for the Seahawks. They gave up only two more points the rest of the way.

Knebel led Ocean View (18-0) with 17 kills and Meghan Coolbaugh led El Modena (16-2) with 15.

In another III-AA match:

Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World 3, La Habra 2--La Habra lost to Rim of the World in five games 12-15, 13-15, 15-5, 15-11, 15-13

In a III-A match:

Rosary 3, La Canada 2--Sarah Cody had 16 kills as Rosary (10-6) won, 9-15, 15-4, 15-7, 9-15, 17-15. Teammate Alissa Sullivan had 15 kills for Rosary.

The Royals will play the winner of North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake-San Marino in the semifinals.