Seniority rules for Flintridge Sacred Heart in home finale
Erik Boal
LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- It was a bad situation from the get-go for the
Chaminade High girls’ volleyball team.
Not only did the Eagles have to deal with Flintridge Sacred Heart
Academy, arguably the hottest team in the Mission League, but it was also
senior night Tuesday at the Tolog gym, which highlighted the careers of
four of Coach Nancy Tinkham’s players.
And if that wasn’t a daunting enough task, matters were made worse for
the Eagles just before the start of the match, when the Tologs were given
an extra lift after learning that they had moved up to No. 3 in the
latest CIF Southern Section Division IVAA rankings.
All of those motivational factors carried Flintridge Sacred Heart to
an easy 15-4, 15-9, 15-1 league victory, its sixth straight in league
entering Thursday’s regular-season finale at Louisville.
“It was very exciting [to learn about the move from No. 4 to No. 3 in
the rankings] and it’s a big sigh of relief,” said senior middle
blocker/opposite hitter Kathryn Polich, who was well aware of the
ramifications of being seeded No. 3, which would mean the Tologs wouldn’t
have to face defending Division IV state champion Marymount until the
Southern Section finals.
Polich finished with two kills, four blocks and three digs, and fellow
senior defensive specialist/setter Heidi Zieman added five digs, six
assists and two aces for Flintridge Sacred Heart (13-2, 8-1 in league).
“I was excited about the chance to set and I thought [fellow senior
middle blocker] Kerry [O’Keefe] and I connected well,” said Zieman, a
two-year varsity player, along with Polich.
“The four of us have great chemistry and this team has a lot of depth,
which we proved tonight [with a lot of individuals playing in different
positions].
“It’s very exciting that we’re No. 3, because we don’t have to see
Marymount until the finals. Hopefully, if that happens, we can make it to
state, which I haven’t had the chance to do in my career.”
O’Keefe took advantage of the setting of Zieman, Brittany Esser and
Kacey Knauf to record a match-high 10 kills, and the fourth senior in the
quartet, outside hitter Jaclyn Cuevas, added seven kills and a match-high
16 digs.
Knauf had 20 assists and five blocks and junior Jillian Davis tallied
five kills and 12 digs. Ashley Trine led Chaminade (4-4 in league) with
seven kills and 13 digs.
BOX SCORE
Chaminade*4*9*1
Flint. Sac. Hrt.*15*15*15
CHAMINADE -- Trine 7 kills and 13 digs.
FLINTRIDGE SACRED HEART -- O’Keefe 10 kills, Cuevas 7 kills and 16
digs, Knauf 20 assists and 5 blocks.