HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL / STATE PLAYOFFS : L.A. Baptist Swept by Yosemite

Three nights ago, the L.A. Baptist High girls’ volleyball team was celebrating its first Southern Section 1-A Division title, while Oakhurst Yosemite was mourning a loss in the Central Section final to Bakersfield Garces Memorial.

But those roles were reversed Tuesday in the L.A. Baptist gym as Yosemite posted a 17-15, 15-7, 17-15 victory in the first round of the state Division IV playoffs.

“We thought our season was done when we lost to Garces,” Yosemite Coach Marian Battles said. “Saturday night, we were home crying.”

But Tuesday, Yosemite advanced to the second round of state play and will play host to Nordhoff on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Led by the play of 6-3 senior middle blocker Staci Hintze, the Badgers (25-1) fought back from deficits in all three games. Hintze not only spearheaded Yosemite’s attack with 12 kills and five blocks, she also disrupted the normally potent middle attack of the Knights. “The block was just so tough on us,” L.A. Baptist Coach Sue Newcomb said. “We were not able to penetrate it.”

Sarah Rameson had 15 kills, six blocks and two aces for the Knights, mostly from the middle, but Lucrieta Haynes was limited to just 10 kills in the middle blocking position opposite Hintze.

L.A. Baptist (19-2) used the effective dinks of Haynes and the solid blocking and hitting of Rameson to exploit the slower Badgers on defense and build a 13-5 game-one lead. But that advantage didn’t last long.

After taking a 4-0 lead in the second game, the Knights dug themselves an 11-4 hole from which they never recovered.

L.A. Baptist took an 12-8 lead in game three as Gina Aust ran off four consecutive service points. But Yosemite charged back once more to take a 14-13 advantage.