Temporary Loss Adds Up to a Big Win for Santa Margarita

With some simple addition by subtraction, the Santa Margarita girls’ volleyball team now has two starting setters.

And the results have Coach Eddie Rapp smiling.

Although Santa Margarita won only two of four matches at last weekend’s Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara, the second-ranked team in Orange County defeated then-No. 1 and previously undefeated Mater Dei in three games last week.

Only two weeks ago, senior Anna Mosich, who also started for last season’s Southern Section Division II-AA championship team, was benched for violating a school and team attendance policy and did not play in the team’s first meeting with Mater Dei.

Shelby Hamm, a 5-foot-11 sophomore who was promoted from the junior varsity, replaced Mosich in that match and performed admirably in a five-game loss that seemed to draw the Eagles together.

Now Mosich and Hamm are splitting time at setter and the Eagles are flourishing. Santa Margarita posted league victories over Rosary and Lakewood St. Joseph, ranked second in Division II-A, to set up the rematch with Mater Dei.

“In the previous match, we played on just emotion and energy,” Rapp said. “This time, we played with that same feeling plus confidence. In that first one, I think our girls found out, ‘Hey, we can play with them.’ ”

Chrissy Bloomgren gave the Eagles a boost against Mater Dei, and Santa Margarita continued to receive steady play from Caroline Skacel, Michelle Davis and Monique Gerlach.

“We played well,” Rapp said. “There was no superstar. Everyone stepped up.”

BACK ON TOP

Newport Harbor took a step toward reestablishing itself as the top-ranked team in the state when it won the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions last weekend.

The Sailors, No. 2 in the state behind Mater Dei this week, already returned to the No. 1 spot in the county poll, winning 15 consecutive games in five matches last week.

And in the final of last weekend’s tournament, which featured seven teams in the state top-10 poll, Newport Harbor rallied from a two-games-to-one deficit to defeat Mountain View St. Francis, the top-ranked team in Division II and third-ranked team in the overall state poll.

“We came in focused and fired up,” said Newport Harbor senior middle blocker Krista Dill, who earned all-tournament honors. “We wanted to get back on our game and we played our best. Everyone played important roles.”

That included senior reserves Erin Haller and Lisa Addeo.

Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn shuffled his lineup in Game 4 of the final, moving April Ross, last season’s Times Orange County player of the year, from outside hitter to setter, where she split duties with sophomore Katie King.

Haller came in to take over Ross’ normal passing and hitting duties and Addeo subbed in for King when she was in the front row and provided some more offense.

“It was good to see we made some adjustments and they all stepped it up,” Glenn said. “Hopefully that ability to adjust is going to be a strength in the playoffs.”

COMMITMENTS

Laura St. John, a 6-0 middle blocker from Esperanza, has committed to Purdue, Esperanza Coach Kurt Kersten said. St. John was a first-team All-Sunset League selection last season.

Setter Claire Thompson, a 5-9 senior at San Clemente, committed to Montana State.

VOLLEYBALL SHORTS

El Dorado gets a chance to earn a share of the Empire League title when it plays at defending league champion Cypress today. Becky Guess and Amanda Sellers lead Cypress, which reached the section Division II-A final last season. . . . Also today, if Corona del Mar defeats University, the Sea Kings will end Laguna Beach’s 11-year string of consecutive Pacific Coast League championships. Corona del Mar defeated Laguna Beach twice in five-game matches this season. . . . Laguna Beach will host its alumni game Saturday. Alumni expected to play include Colorado’s Rachel Wacholder and former beach standout Cammy Ciarelli, who attended UCLA.

*

If you have an item or idea for the girls’ volleyball report, you can fax us at (714) 966-5663 or e-mail us at mike.itagaki@latimes.com

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Southern Section Poll

Division I-AA--1. Newport Harbor, 2. Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, 3. Esperanza, 4. Long Beach Wilson, 5. Irvine, 6. Upland, 7. Redlands East Valley, 8. Long Beach Poly, 9. Palos Verdes Peninsula, 10. Chino Hills Ayala.

Division I-A--1. Mater Dei, 2. Santa Barbara San Marcos, 3. Santa Barbara, 4. Huntington Beach, 5. Simi Valley Royal, 6. Ventura Buena, 7. San Clemente, 8. Thousand Oaks, 9. Victorville Silverado, 10. Kennedy.

Division II-AA--1. Santa Margarita, 2. Westlake Village Westlake, 3. South Torrance, 4. Cypress, 5. Whittier La Serna, 6. Valencia, 7. Foothill, 8. Temecula Chaparral, 9. Hemet West Valley, 10. Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World.

Division II-A--1. Covina South Hills, 2. Lakewood St. Joseph, 3. Glendora St. Lucy’s, 4. La Habra, 5. San Luis Obispo, 6. Goleta Dos Pueblos, 7. Atascadero, 8. Lakewood Mayfair, 9. Ocean View, 10. Laguna Hills.

Division III-AA--1. Torrance Bishop Montgomery, 2. North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, 3. Corona del Mar, 4. La Canada, 5. Riverside Notre Dame, 6. Rosary, 7. Santa Paula, 8. Ojai Nordhoff, 9. Mission Hills Alemany, 10. West Hills Chaminade.

Division IV-AA--1. Laguna Beach, 2. L.A. Notre Dame Academy, 3. Thousand Oaks La Reina, 4. L.A. Marymount, 5. Cerritos Whitney, 6. Flintridge Sacred Heart, 7. Cerritos Valley Christian, 8. Woodland Hills Louisville, 9. El Segundo, 10. Carpinteria.

Division IV-A--1. L.A. Brentwood, 2. Calvary Chapel, 3. Sun Valley Village Christian, 4. Whittier Christian, 5. Malibu, 6. L.A. Marlborough, 7. San Pedro Mary Star of the Sea, 8. Orange Lutheran, 9. Ventura St. Bonaventure, 10. Burbank Providence.

Division V-AA--1. St. Margaret’s, 2. Palos Verdes Peninsula Chadwick, 3. North Hollywood Campbell Hall, 4. Calabasas Viewpoint, 5. Sierra Madre Alverno, 6. La Canada Flintridge Prep, 7. Lone Pine, 8. Simi Valley Grace Brethren, 9. Covina Western Christian, 10. San Bernardino Aquinas.

Division V-A--1. Hemet Baptist Christian, 2. Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian, 3. Liberty Christian, 4. Camarillo Cornerstone Christian, 5. Santa Monica Lighthouse Church, 6. Lake Arrowhead Christian, 7. Baker, 8. Atascadero North County Christian, 9. Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep, 10. Independence Owens Valley.

State Poll

Division I--1. Mater Dei, 2. Newport Harbor, 3. Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, 4. Stockton Lincoln, 3. Santa Barbara San Marcos, 6. Santa Barbara, 7. Bakersfield Centennial, 8. San Jose Archbishop Mitty, 9. Huntington Beach, 10. Long Beach Wilson.

Division II--1. Mountain View St. Francis, 2. Santa Margarita, 3. Placerville El Dorado, 4. Westlake Village Westlake, 5. Lakewood St. Joseph, 6. Covina South Hills, 7. La Jolla, 8. La Habra, 9. Sacramento Rio Americano, 10. Pleasanton Amador Valley.

Division III--1. Torrance Bishop Montgomery, 2. North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, 3. Corona del Mar, 4. Sonoma Valley, 5. Los Gatos, 6. Forestville El Molino, 7. Sacramento St. Francis, 8. Costa Mesa, 9. Redding Enterprise, 10. Tollhouse Sierra.

Division IV--1. L.A. Notre Dame Academy, 2. Laguna Beach, 3. Calvary Chapel, 4. Atherton Menlo, 5. Ripon, 6. Escalon, 7. L.A. Marymount, 8. L.A. Brentwood, 9. La Canada Flintridge Prep, 10. Linden.

Division V--1. San Diego Francis Parker, 2. Auburn Forest Lake Christian, 3. Hemet Baptist Christian, 4. Reedley Immanuel, 5. St. Margaret’s, 6. Modesto Central Catholic, 7. Visalia Central Valley Christian, 8. Alturas Modoc, 9. Atherton Sacred Heart Prep, 10. Calabasas Viewpoint.

Overall--1. Mater Dei, 2. Newport Harbor, 3. Mountain View St. Francis, 4. Torrance Bishop Montgomery, 5. L.A. Notre Dame Academy, 6. Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, 7. Santa Margarita, 8. Stockton Lincoln, 9. Santa Barbara San Marcos, 10. Santa Barbara.