Ocean View Takes the Next Step

It wasn’t a certain point or particular player that turned things around for Ocean View. It was just a collective decision.

The top-seeded Seahawks bounced back from being down, two games to one, to beat La Jolla, 14-16, 15-6, 4-15, 15-4, 15-12, in the Southern California Division III final Tuesday at Ocean View.

The Seahawks advance to Saturday’s state championship match against Forestville El Molino at Cypress College.

“I think they decided they really had to work to win,” Ocean View Coach Tim Mennealy said.

“They just changed their mind about how they wanted to play. I just reminded them about the commitment they have to one another and the goal they have of going to state, and that seemed to do it.”

Ocean View (20-1) should have received the message after the first game.

La Jolla scored eight consecutive points to turn an three-point deficit into a five-point lead.

The Seahawks came back to tie the score, 14-14, but Ashley Dean planted two straight kills to win the game.

The momentum went back to Ocean View in the second game as the Seahawks built an 8-2 lead and then scored the final seven points of the game, the last coming on Shelby Jameson’s kill.

Ocean View then fell into disarray in the third game, allowing La Jolla to score 10 of the last 11 points, including an ace by Mary Cravens to end it.

The Seahawks then regrouped and delivered a one-sided victory in the fourth game.

One of Carissa Gough’s 11 blocks gave Ocean View a 6-1 lead and another block by Gough made it 13-3. The Vikings were then called for a lift on game point.

The fifth game was close until two consecutive tough serves by Jameson couldn’t be returned, giving Ocean View a 10-6 lead. The Seahawks increased it to 14-8 on Sharon Shelton’s fourth ace of the match.

Cravens and Malaika Underwood collided trying to retrieve Jessica Bradosky’s match-point serve.