Laguna Beach Loses Marathon Match

After 2 1/2 hours and five grueling games, only two points separated Los Angeles Notre Dame Academy and Laguna Beach in the Southern Section Division IV-AA girls’ volleyball championship match Saturday at Cypress College.

Unfortunately for the Artists, a break here and an error there made the difference in a 16-14, 10-15, 15-12, 13-15, 15-11 loss that gave Notre Dame Academy its second title under 20th-year Coach Tom Brenner.

“It just went back and forth,” Brenner said. “Our girls don’t really give up easily. And Laguna Beach never really quit either.”

Alyssa Rylander had 22 kills and 21 digs and Mari Bell had 44 assists and 23 kills to lead Notre Dame Academy. Bell, a 5-foot-9 junior, made kills from the right side for four of the final five points in Game 5.

With the loss, second-seeded Laguna Beach (11-7) joined good company, as top-seeded Notre Dame Academy (21-3) has also defeated Division II-A champion Lakewood St. Joseph and Division I-AA finalist Manhattan Beach Mira Costa.

Laguna Beach, appearing in its seventh section final, started strong and looked on track to add to its three section championships.

The Artists built a 12-7 lead in Game 1 and had a game point at 14-13. But the Regals scored the final three points to win, 16-14.

“We played well in the first game,” Laguna Beach Coach Shawn Patchell said. “We just didn’t win it.”

It would have been easy for the Artists to get dejected after losing Game 1. And Laguna Beach could have given up hope after losing Game 3.

But the Artists kept fighting.

Although their side-out attack wasn’t working to perfection--Kellie Cramm led Laguna Beach with 17 kills--the Artists hung tough with defense to keep the pressure on.

In Game 5, a block by Sarah Salem and Lauralee Neptune and a Notre Dame Academy hitting error gave Laguna Beach an 11-9 lead. But the Regals closed it out behind Bell.