Valley Christian Seeks Repeat

Cerritos Valley Christian will try to win its second consecutive Division IV championship and Torrance Bishop Montgomery will attempt to win its second Division III title in three years when the girls’ state volleyball championships are played Saturday at Cypress College.

Championship matches in five divisions will be played at the daylong event.

Valley Christian (32-0), which plays Linden at 11 a.m., advanced to the final Tuesday night with a 15-10, 15-3, 15-3 victory over Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, a team that had extended the Crusaders to five games in the Southern Section playoffs.

Middle blocker Stacey Rouwenhorst had a match-high 17 kills and middle blocker Jennifer Fopma and outside hitter Sarah Boogaard each added 12 for Valley Christian.

“We know we can dominate if we play our game,” Valley Christian Coach Gladys Rouwenhorst said after the match. “We are very confident for Saturday.”

Bishop Montgomery also is feeling good going into its 1:30 p.m. match against Forestville El Molino.

Katie Olsovsky, the only Bishop Montgomery player taller than 6 feet, had 19 kills in the Knights’ 15-11, 15-7, 15-9 victory over North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake on Tuesday night.

But Bishop Montgomery wins because it plays solid defense. The Knights have three starters 5-5 or shorter.

“All you have to do is keep the ball in play,” Bishop Montgomery Coach Kim Willeman said after the match. “We really play well against big, tall teams, we just have to play fast.”

Defending Division I champion Newport Harbor will try to make it two in a row when the Sailors play Lincoln Stockton at 7 p.m. Newport Harbor swept Huntington Beach Marina, 15-9, 16-14, 15-7, in the regional final. The Sailors have not lost a game in the postseason.

Santa Margarita, which lost to Mountain View St. Francis in last year’s Division II final, gets a rematch at 5 p.m. Santa Margarita advanced with a four-game win over La Jolla.

San Diego Francis Parker will play Atherton Sacred Heart for the Division V title at 9 a.m.

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At a Glance

* Division I--Newport Harbor vs. Lincoln Stockton, 7 p.m.

* Division II--Santa Margarita vs. Mountain View St. Francis, 5 p.m.

* Division III--Torrance Bishop Montgomery vs. Forestville El Molino, 1:30 p.m.

* Division IV--Cerritos Valley Christian vs. Linden, 11 a.m.

* Division V--San Diego Francis Parker vs. Atherton Sacred Heart Prep, 9 a.m.

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Volleyball

* What: Girls’ state volleyball championships.

* When: Saturday, 9 a.m., 11, 1:30 p.m., 5 and 7.

* Where: Cypress College.

* At stake: State titles in five divisions based on enrollment.

* 1997 champions: Division I--Huntington Beach Marina; II--Mountain View St. Francis; III--Huntington Beach Ocean View; IV--Cerritos Valley Christian; V--Reedley Immanuel.

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Cross-Country

* What: West regional cross-country championships.

* When: Saturday, 1:15 p.m.

* Where: Woodward Park, Fresno.

* At stake: The top eight finishers in the boys’ and girls’ races qualify for the national championships in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Dec. 12.

* 1997 champions: Boys--Steve Smith, senior at Chino Hills Ayala; Girls--Mariel Ettinger, junior at La Grande (Ore.).