Lead Lapses Into Long Day for Out-Gritted Westlake

The day began at 6:45 a.m. for some, earlier for others.

Yet it ended a little too late for members of the Westlake High girls’ volleyball team.

Playing in their first Southern Section final, the Warriors had the Division II-A banner in their figurative clutches, but dropped it when Santa Margarita rallied for an 8-15, 14-16, 17-15, 15-9, 15-8 victory Saturday at Cypress College.

Top-seeded Westlake, known for its tough defense and grittiness, was out-gritted. A two-game lead became a five-game heartbreak.

“Parts of us were there, and parts of us weren’t,” said outside hitter Courtney Miller, who had 30 kills. “We were off and on all over the court.”

At first, the Warriors (19-3), who boarded the team bus with bleary eyes before 7:30 a.m. to make the 10:30 start, were on.

Miller and Leigh O’Neill each had four kills and game one was over quickly.

In game two, second-seeded Santa Margarita (14-5) fought off four game points before falling behind in games, 2-0.

“We were a little intimidated at first,” Eagles Coach Eddie Rapp said.

At second glance, it was Westlake that began to lose confidence.

The Warriors fell behind in the third game, 12-7, and fought off two game points before losing.

The fourth game was trouble for Westlake, especially from behind the service line. In a reversal of fortune, Westlake committed four service errors, while Santa Margarita had five aces.

“Our serving totally dropped,” Westlake Coach Chris Rundle said.

Westlake jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth game and still led, 6-4, when the Eagles put together a 9-1 run.

Santa Margarita toughened defensively at the net and in the back row, and Shannon Redfern and Kiki Maroutsos provided the offense. Redfern finished with 21 kills and Maroutsos had 20.

Two consoling factors for Westlake: The Warriors are a young team, with no seniors and six junior starters and they still get a shot in the state tournament, which begins Tuesday.

“Hopefully, we’ll work through it and get state,” Miller said. “It helps that we get a chance to prove ourselves.”

In other section finals:

Flintridge Sacred Heart d. Marlborough, 15-11, 15-10, 13-15, 7-15, 15-13--Because of below-average height, the Tologs rely on a tough, digging defense and blazing jump serves. But after their victory in the Division IV-AA final, they needed to redefine themselves.

“We just played even scrappier,” said middle blocker Holly Doran, who at 5-foot-11 is the tallest Tolog.

After nearly blowing a two-game lead, third-seeded Flintridge Sacred Heart (15-4) needed every inch they could get in a wild fifth game that featured eight ties and three lead changes.

In the end, it was Doran (17 kills), Danielle Dal Ponte (22 kills) and Audra Grim (21 kills) who helped the Tologs to their third section title and first since 1987.

The match was markedly different from a regular-season meeting won by the top-seeded Mustangs (15-4) in four games.

Cornerstone Christian d. Rio Hondo 15-11, 15-5, 15-7--Julie Seifert had 20 kills to lead the top-seeded Eagles (19-2) in the Division V-A final.

Alizabeth Johnston added seven kills and four blocks for Cornerstone Christian.