Huntington Beach Rolls Over Napa

It was supposed to be a state final match, but from the first serve it looked more like a victory party, as the Huntington Beach girls’ volleyball team ceremoniously put the finishing touches on its remarkable season Saturday at Cal State Fullerton in front of a crowd of about 750.

Huntington Beach defeated Napa, 15-6, 15-9, 15-12, in the Division II final to win the school’s first state volleyball title. The award can be hung next to the school’s first Southern Section girls’ volleyball title, which the Oilers won last month.

So dominating in the playoffs were the Oilers that they dropped only one game in eight matches--in the Southern Section II-AA final, when they took four games to defeat Santa Barbara.

“They are definitely the best team we’ve seen all season in terms of a balanced attack,” said Napa Coach Barbara Franco, a 17-year veteran who announced her retirement after the match. “[Oiler setter Allison Ciarelli] moved the ball around very well. She’s very good, very good. . . . She can put it just about anywhere.”

Ciarelli was selected most valuable player of the Division II final. Middle blocker Julie Hinsche led the Oilers with 14 kills and had a .526 hitting percentage.

After easily winning the first two games, the Oilers (24-2) seemed to have their eyes on the championship trophy to start Game 3.

Not so fast, the Indians seemed to say.

Napa jumped to a 3-2 lead, its first lead of the match, and increased it to 6-2.

“I don’t know why, third games have not been good for us,” said Rocky Ciarelli, who coaches the Oilers with his wife, Cammy. “I can’t explain it. Maybe they want to get yelled at in the first timeout or maybe they want to come see me or see Cammy, I don’t know.”

Huntington Beach never panicked, working its way back to within one point, 6-5. The Oilers then gave up a point when they were called for stepping under the net.

Both teams stalled, trading nine sideouts, before Ciarelli came up to serve. Ciarelli served seven consecutive points to give the Oilers the lead, 12-7. But the Indians (34-2) put together a 5-0 run of their own to tie it, 12-12.

Just then, Hinsche showed up in the middle of the net with two consecutive kills to bring up match point.

Dana Atkinson scrambled to the back line to make a pass and as it sailed high toward the net, Ciarelli reached up and deflected it around the Indian block to the sideline, where it fell for a kill and the victory.