Linden Rallies to End Calvary Chapel Title Streak

Three points away from a title, Calvary Chapel stalled and then watched as Linden raced past in the state girls’ volleyball Division IV final Saturday at Cal State Fullerton.

Linden won, 9-15, 15-5, 10-15, 15-12, 15-7, to deny Calvary Chapel a third-consecutive state title.

It was Linden’s second state title; it won Division III in 1990.

The Eagles jumped to an 11-6 lead in the fourth game behind freshman Kelly Overby’s three blocks and two kills.

But the Lions came back to tie it, 12-12, behind Suzanne Stonebarger’s four kills.

After the Eagles gave up a point through miscommunication on an attack, the Lions won it on kills by Stonebarger and Diana Jensen.

The Lions jumped to an 8-1 lead in the fifth game before the Eagles fought back to cut the deficit to three points, 8-5. From there, Linden scored two more points off ace serves, one on a Calvary Chapel hitting error and one on a kill by Gina Troxell to take a 12-5 lead.

Calvary Chapel scored only two more points before giving up match point on a hitting error.

It was a rematch of last season’s Division IV final, which Calvary Chapel won, but this time the tables were turned.

Linden returned a veteran squad, including its two best players, Stonebarger and Troxell.

Calvary Chapel lost its two best players to graduation, Hawaii’s Jenny Roberts and Florida State’s Kensy Zulueta. This season, the Eagles start two freshmen and two sophomores.

“It was kind of like David and Goliath out there,” said Calvary Chapel Coach Jim Downey. “We battled as hard as we could but at the end we couldn’t hit the ball hard enough to put it away.”

Linden (32-5) set state Division IV final records for digs by a team, with 106 and for digs by individuals, with 26 each by Troxell and Stonebarger.

The Lions’ 15 service aces were also a state Division IV final record as were the 56 assists by Lion setter Erika Selsor.

Stonebarger was selected the most valuable player of the championship match.

Middle blocker Jill Overby and 14 kills, eight block assists and 19 digs for Calvary Chapel (20-8).

Overby and setter Whitney Hoover are the only two seniors on the Eagle roster.

“The way I look at it, it was pretty good for a rebuilding year,” Downey said.

Hoover agreed.

“There are winners and there are losers,” Hoover said. “We basically all feel like we haven’t lost.”