No. 1 Mater Dei Holds Off Santa Margarita

Short-handed Santa Margarita gave top-ranked Mater Dei all it could handle before the Monarchs prevailed in five games, 1-15, 15-0, 14-16, 15-12, 15-6, in a Serra League girls’ volleyball match Tuesday at Calvary Chapel High.

Sophomore Breegan Mulligan had 18 kills to lead a balanced attack for Mater Dei (10-0, 2-0 in league), which was coming off its victory Friday over then top-ranked Newport Harbor.

Santa Margarita (5-3, 1-1) played without starting setter Anna Mosich, who was benched for violating a school and team rule, Eagle Coach Eddie Rapp said. But the Eagles still took a two-games-to-one lead and pulled to 13-11 in Game 4.

But a kill and a block by Mater Dei’s Lindsay Pavlik, who had 12 kills and 14 digs, gave the Monarchs two side outs and another block by Kelley Kincheloe, who had 10 kills and seven blocks, put the Monarchs ahead, 14-11, before they put away the game.

Mater Dei then scored seven of the first eight points in the final game and Santa Margarita never drew closer than four. Mater Dei setter Jennifer Ward served out the final two points of the match.

Santa Margarita’s new setter was Shelby Hamm, a 5-foot-11 sophomore who was making her first varsity start.

“She stepped in a did a good job,” Rapp said. “The team pulled together around her.”

Hamm struggled to connect regularly with middle blocker Monique Gerlach, who had 11 kills. But Caroline Skacel, who had 21 kills, 30 digs and four blocks, and Michelle Davis, who had 15 kills and two blocks, helped the Eagles to a fast start and a 15-1 victory in Game 1.

“I think we were still thinking about the Newport win,” said Pavlik, who has committed to Northwestern. “The first game was an eye-opener. We said to ourselves that we needed to pick it up.”

Although Mater Dei refocused and won the second game in a rout, 15-0, Santa Margarita answered with Skacel, who has committed to San Francisco, tallying six kills to help the Eagles win Game 3, 16-14.

“I’m fired up about us,” Rapp said. “I’m not happy we lost and we still have to be able to close the deal. But we finally showed some of the potential we have.”