Westlake Girls Hope This Is Their Turn

Westlake High is trying to avoid a repeat of last year, while Flintridge Sacred Heart wants to repeat exactly what it did in the Southern Section girls’ volleyball finals a year ago.

St. Bonaventure is just happy to still be around, while Cornerstone Christian is smarter than the average team.

At first glance, Westlake’s match today against Lakewood St. Joseph appears to be a simple springboard into the State playoffs next week.

After all, the Warriors (32-3) are decisive favorites to win the Division II-A championship.

But the Warriors remember last season’s title match against Santa Margarita, where they blew a two-game lead and lost in five.

“These kids have learned,” Westlake Coach Chris Rundle said. “There’s been a lot of growth. This is it for these guys. Two more weeks and it’s over.”

Opposite hitter Courtney Miller, who missed most of the season after having surgery to remove a bone fragment in her left foot, is back for the Warriors, but probably will not start.

Flintridge Sacred Heart is back in the Division IV-AA championship match.

For better or for worse, so is top-seeded Marlborough.

The third-seeded Tologs (14-3) defeated Marlborough in five games to win the title last season.

The Tologs must contain Lauren Killian, Marlborough’s 6-foot-1 junior opposite hitter who is drawing college interest.

Sacred Heart, which lost to the Mustangs in five games during the regular season, was nearly flawless while sweeping Notre Dame Academy on Tuesday in the semifinals.

“We’re peaking right now,” Sacred Heart Coach Nancy Tinkham said. “It was phenomenal. We’re just connecting.”

In Division IV-A, St. Bonaventure wasn’t supposed to be here. But the Seraphs (13-6) have knocked off two seeded teams.

“We don’t have nearly as much talent as other teams,” St. Bonaventure Coach Peter Fox said. “We’re a very small team. We know we’re not going to get 15 blocks a match.”

Instead the Seraphs rely on a scrappy, digging defense and 5-5 outside hitter Kristen Jones, who had 20 kills against L.A. Baptist.

Whether the Seraphs, who finished fourth in the Tri-Valley League, can defeat top-seeded Cerritos Valley Christian is another story.

“I’d take fourth place in league and then a [sectional] title any day,” he said.

Cornerstone Christian is going after its second consecutive title in Division V-A.

The third-seeded Eagles (18-5), who swept Rio Hondo Prep last season, are not the favorite this season against top-seeded Bermuda Dunes Desert Christian.

But Cornerstone Christian can draw on middle blocker Elizabeth Johnston, outside hitter-setter Julia Tamai and the fact that the team grade point average is a 3.7.

“It’s not just volleyball [success], it’s also been in life,” Coach Dennis Deutsch said of his players.