Calvary Chapel girls’ volleyball fends off Costa Mesa, repeats as Orange Coast League champion
The atmosphere on Wednesday night wound up being everything that the senior-laden Costa Mesa High girls’ volleyball team could have hoped for at home.
A packed gym combined with the chance to play for the Orange Coast League championship made the final regular-season match extra special for the Mustangs, who had eight seniors on their roster this year.
Senior opposite Malia Tufuga had 17 kills, nine assists and five blocks, but Costa Mesa fell short. Calvary Chapel claimed the outright league title with a 25-15, 23-25, 25-21, 25-19 win.
The Eagles (24-4, 10-0 in league) repeated as league champions, while Costa Mesa (19-9, 8-2) finished in second place.
“Even though we have Estancia as our crosstown rival, this was our league rivalry,” the Stanford-bound Tufuga said. “I think it’s a great game to go into CIF with this energy, and to even take a set away from [the Eagles], that was great.”
Tufuga went on to say that the crowd was the largest she had seen in her four years at the school, adding that the team felt the crowd’s energy and reciprocated it.
The Mustangs’ fight was particularly evident on the defensive end, as a formidable block backed by senior libero Rae Galarion allowed Costa Mesa to make runs late in the second and third sets.
Costa Mesa trailed 22-17 in Game 2, but Jade Young’s consistency from the service line propelled the Mustangs to a 23-22 advantage. A Tufuga kill up the right sideline, and an ace by senior opposite Frinny Ross clinched the set for Costa Mesa.
In the third set, Costa Mesa trailed 19-9 before rallying to cut its deficit to 23-21 on a kill by Tevani Seanoa.
“The goal is to win, but I’m proud of how we fought,” Mustangs coach Jillian Rifkin said. “They executed as well as they could have. We didn’t make a ton of sloppy mistakes.”
Galarion exited early in the fourth set with an ankle injury, but she was able to walk under her own power with ice around the ankle after the match. Her contributions kept the Mustangs in system throughout the evening.
“I think the effort was so much better than the first time that we played them,” said Galarion, whose team was swept by Calvary Chapel on Oct. 1. “I think that the defense was so much better. Everyone knew where to go, everyone just going for it.”
The first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 5 playoffs will be held on Oct. 24, so Galarion has time to rest the injury.
Lorelei Hobbis had four blocks and four aces for the Mustangs. Tarah Harmon added 4½ blocks and three kills, Emily Paulsen had two kills, and Sophia Maniaci chipped in with two aces. Young distributed 18 assists to go with three aces.
The Eagles were led by Delaney Hill’s 18 kills and Makenzie Hill’s 16 kills.
“I’m very competitive, and I want to win every time, especially against this team,” Delaney Hill said. “They’re our toughest competitors [in league].”
Gabby Reinking had 27 assists and four aces for Calvary Chapel. Olivia Neumann added 14 assists and four aces, and Cornelia Eikeri had nine kills.
“This is my first year here, so it was really exciting,” said Eikeri, who is from Norway. “It’s been so fun playing with this team, and we played great.”
Calvary Chapel, which is ranked No. 2 in Division 4, will have its eyes on the prize in chasing a CIF title.
“We’re aiming for the moon, and we hope to hit a couple of stars,” Eagles coach Joshua Hill said. “We’re going to aim for CIF, and if we fall short, we do. That’s our goal.”
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