Harvard-Westlake Finishes the Job

There was a gift for every player before they left practice Friday, a keepsake that served as a reminder of how long ago the season began for North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake High.

The Wolverine players were each given a small baggie of sand collected by a team mother off the coast of Hawaii, where Harvard-Westlake’s season started in August at the Iolani tournament.

Nearly four months later it ended memorably, Harvard-Westlake defeating Forestville El Molino, 15-12, 15-11, 15-12, in the state Division III girls’ volleyball championship Saturday at Cypress College.

It was a victory sparked by the team’s seniors, Courtney Schultz delivering 17 kills, Terbrie Taylor adding 13 kills and Karalyn Kuchenbecker tallying nine kills and a team-high 12 digs.

The Wolverines (21-2) won the Division III title for the second consecutive season and for the third time since 1995.

Schultz, who has signed with Stanford, put the finishing touches on a career that began as a freshman starter on varsity, recording four kills in the late stages of the final game.

“It hit me in the third game when it was 12-11,” she said. “I realized three more points, this is it.”

The match was closer than the Wolverines’ 15-6, 15-6 thrashing of El Molino at the Iolani tournament. Harvard-Westlake needed to overturn a 7-3 deficit in the third game to put away El Molino (29-5).

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Los Angeles Marymount def. Atherton Menlo, 15-5, 15-6, 15-7--Virginia Levanas had 14 kills and Stesha Selsky exemplified the Sailors’ defensive effort with 19 digs to lead Marymount to its second consecutive Division IV title.

Every dive led to a dig, every pass seemed precise for the Sailors (33-4), who frustrated Menlo (30-5) time after time.

“They just did not make mistakes,” Menlo Coach Ryan Cooling said. “They had an answer for everything we did.”

Defense has been a trademark for Marymount, beginning with the first few practices of the season.

“The seniors freaked a lot of the new [freshmen] out with their defense ... they were running into the walls and everything,” Coach Cari Klein said.

Marymount setter and outside hitter Haley Jorgensborg, who has signed with UCLA, continued her solid all-around playoff run with seven kills and 15 assists.

The Sailors defeated Menlo in last season’s championship.

“Last year we were on cloud nine,” Jorgensborg said. “This year we said we wanted to do it again, and we did.”