Sierra Canyon girls volleyball defeats Mater Dei to earn Division 1 title

CERRITOS — The Sierra Canyon girls volleyball had one mission this season: win the CIF-SS title, and perhaps get a little revenge.

The Trailblazers notched that goal with a four-set win over Mater Dei, 23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21, in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship match Saturday night at Cerritos College.

Sierra Canyon avenged its loss to the Monarchs in last year’s Division 1 championship.

The Trailblazers (39-3) had the tall task of slowing down two of the most powerful outside hitters in California, in Mater Dei’s Westley Matavao and Layli Ostovar. Sierra Canyon rose to that challenge with 16 blocks in four sets.

Senior Kendall Omoruyi led in that department, as she totaled six blocks. The Blazers got a nice boost from junior opposite Eva Jeffries with 11 kills, six digs and five blocks, including the championship-sealing block.

Sierra Canyon ramped up its play every set while Mater Dei’s offensive hitting percentage coincidentally declined through every game.

The Monarchs (31-5) were never easy to put away, but the Trailblazers consistently fought for and found points.

The Trailblazers opened up set four with 4-0 run that featured a pair of blocks. Sierra Canyon setter Lucky Fasavalu led a 5-0 run from the end line, where she added three aces, including one off the tape to go up 20-15 in set four.

Mater Dei closed within 21-20, but the Trailblazers kept finding an answer. Trailblazers outside hitter McKenna McIntosh added a big kill to go up 23-20 with the assist coming off a bump from fellow outside Hanna McGinest.

“We did not play great tonight,” Trailblazers coach Stefanie Wigfall said. “We played good in moments, and we had to win. But overall, I think that, it was so easy for them to get us out of system in set one, and we were figuring out ways to score in a lot of rotations. But look, you figure out a way to win. That’s the best part. You just figure it out.”

The 6-foot-3 Jeffries started making plays from the get-go and registered a solo block to tie set one at 5-5. The opposite added three blocks in the opening set but Mater Dei pulled away to win 25-23.

“I think we were mentally very ready, and the energy was there and then the heat of the moment got to us a little bit,” Jeffries said. “We had to adjust to the environment and just the jitters and the nerves. So I think we did that, and then we ended up winning the match because of it.”

Sierra Canyon battled in another tight set but pulled in front with a 5-0 run in the second game before three late kills from outside hitter McIntosh put the game away and tied the score 1-1.

McIntosh, a USC commit, and Omoruyi both finished with 13 kills. McGinest added 10 kills along with eight digs. Senior libero Maddie Zaragoza led with a match-high 14 digs.

Kalyani Olive, McGinest, Fasavalu and Jefferies are returners from last year’s runner-up team that was aching for one more shot at Mater Dei.

“It was such a young team last year,” Jeffries said. “I feel like it was just important for us to really secure this win, just because next year we’re going to lose some key seniors that we love and we support through everything. So this one was important for us as a program.”