Tologs taken out in sweep
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — In the first game, it was frustrated. In the second game, it was disappointed. By the time the third game started, it was desperate.
The Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy girls’ volleyball team didn’t know how to contain a tough and talented Edison squad that entered the Tolog gym Tuesday night intent on advancing in the CIF Southern Section Division 1-AA playoffs.
Edison never trailed in either of the first two games and used its depth in the third game to end Sacred Heart’s season with a 25-15, 25-20, 25-22 first-round win that took 72 minutes.
Sacred Heart (15-14) knew what to expect from the Chargers.
The Tologs knew that Edison had plenty of players who could notch kills and play scrappy defense.
That’s exactly what the Tologs got in the first game.
Edison (20-8), which tied for second place in the Sunset League, allowed only a pair of 3-0 runs to the Tologs and used a multitude of players to frustrate Sacred Heart.
Megan Reza, Allie Cook and Cassie Strickland each had at least four kills in the first game, with Reza leading the way with six. Strickland finished with a team-high 11 kills and three aces, Reza had 10 kills, Avae Masaniai had eight kills and Cook had seven.
“I knew they were a tough team,” Tologs Coach Anne Arlie said. “I knew they would run a fast offense. They have six great athletes on the court at all times.”
Edison’s defense provided the Chargers with a boost in the second game, as the Tologs failed to put together three unanswered points in the game.
“It’s difficult when you can’t pass,” said Arlie, a first-year head coach who was a varsity assistant and lower-level coach at Sacred Heart for the past five years, when the Tologs advanced to two CIF semifinals and one final. “It’s difficult too when you get it to your best outside hitter and [Edison] gets a dig, which is frustrating on our end. Defense wins games.”
The Tologs, who were swept out of the second round by Mira Costa a year ago, tried to win the third game and extend their season by hustling on defense and spreading the ball on offense.
Sacred Heart won the first two points of the game, but it quickly watched Edison score three unanswered points. The Tologs never led again.
“They came out with a lot of energy and with their backs against the wall,” Edison Coach Trent Jackson said. “I told my team that emotion doesn’t win games. I told them to just sideout and start playing.”
Masaniai’s kill on a pass from Nicole Vogel, who had 20 assists, ended the match, as well as the career for Sacred Heart’s Camille Coffey, a multiple-time All-Area and All-Mission League standout.
Coffey, who’ll continue her playing career at Farfield University in Connecticut, had 12 kills, 12 digs and two blocks.
“We’ve got very big shoes to fill,” said Arlie, who also received contributions from Amanda Petro (eight kills), Katherine Rubschlager (five kills) and Alyssa Walton (three blocks and nine digs). “We’re going to miss everything about Camille.”