It was the first title for the Cavaliers and they were so excited that coach Mike Kroeze and assistant Grace Vanderkooi each decided to take a running slide into the postmatch celebratory dog pile.
"We had talked about it," Vanderkooi said, "but we got caught up in the moment."
While the coaches were in the moment, the players never shied from the moment as they controlled the first two sets. The Cavaliers led the opening stanza from start to finish, ending it with a
Caroline Mihalcin kill.
The second set was closer, but the result was the same as CVC used its size for 12 blocks in the set.
Central Valley Christian's Lola Highstreet had 10 kills as the Cavaliers swept Monta Vista on Saturday to win the CIF Division III volleyball title at Santiago Canyon College. It's the first state title for Central Valley Christian. (Photo: Kenneth Weisenberger)
"We knew our size gave us a competitive edge and if we put pressure on them it would give us the opportunity to get blocks," Kroeze said.
Claire Phillips had four of her team-high six blocks in the second set.
In the third set, Monta Vista changed course and opted to hit around rather than through the CVC block.
"We were smarter, not trying to power through them," Monta Vista coach Nadia Lan said.
The Matadors took a 19-17 lead on a
Jocelyn Zou block and led 24-23, but the Cavaliers got a finesse kill from
Ally Lane to ensure the set went extra points.
A Monta Vista hitting error gave CVC match point and Highstreet capped the championship with a block on the right side.
