CdM eliminated in 3

Bryce Alderton

Red, the color signifying power and love.

The team wearing red Tuesday night, the Harvard-Westlake High

girls volleyball team (25-4), showed its might but no love for

visiting Corona del Mar (19-9), sweeping the Sea Kings, 15-9, 15-3,

15-4, in a CIF Southern Section Division III-A semifinal match at

Harvard-Westlake High.

It was the second year in a row the Sea Kings have lost in the

Division III-A semifinals (Corona lost to Bishop Montgomery in five

games last season).

It didn’t take much time for the Wolverines, winners of section

titles the last two years (III-A last year and III-AA in 2000), to

dispel any hopes the Sea Kings had of winning, though CdM Coach Bill

Christiansen said a combination of things led to his team’s defeat.

“They were mistake-free and we had an off night so it was not a

good combination,” Christiansen said. “They were outstanding in their

steadiness.”

The Wolverines, 2000 state Division III champions, barely missed a

beat Tuesday, which marked the first time in four matches the

starting lineup played healthy, and they looked well.

Middle blocker Kristin Quinn and Alexandra Dunphy combined for 15

blocks, with Quinn adding eight kills and Dunphy slamming seven kills

for Harvard-Westlake, who dominated net play, thwarting several Sea

King kill attempts.

“This was a game where we struggled the most and it’s a bad time

to have a game like that,” Christiansen said.

Corona’s lone rally came trailing, 13-2 in Game 1, when senior

Alissa Zoelle served six straight points getting one kill each from

Britta Nielsen (three kills) and senior Claire Allen (team-leading 10

kills) and a rally-saving dig from setter MacKenzie Conover in the

stretch before Ann Naylor tallied one of her four kills for a

sideout.

The Sea Kings’ lone lead came at 1-0 and 2-0 in the second game

before the Wolverines powered their way to 11 straight points,

getting five kills from Harvard kill leader Justine Davidson (11),

one a block and another a slam down the sideline.

“We had good setting, (Dunphy) did a good job and they all moved

the ball around well,” said 15-year Harvard Coach Jess Quiroz.

“They’re playing the way they should be playing.”

Harvard catapulted to a 10-0 lead in Game 3 before Corona knew

what hit them. Two Allen kills from Ashley Bill assists gave the Sea

Kings sideouts, but they couldn’t get any points from those and two

block kills each from Dunphy and Quinn aided the Wolverines in their

quest for a third consecutive Division III championship, which they

will try to win Saturday against Bishop Montgomery, while the Sea

Kings were sent home, though not without the effort, Christiansen

said.

Conover tallied eight assists and Bill and Lauren Snell each

collected two assists for the Sea Kings while Jordan Smith added four

kills. Breanne Odgen and senior Lauren Loe kept many rallies alive

with digs and passes.

“I’ve been extremely proud of this team all year long,”

Christiansen said. “They played all-out every one of our 28 games. We

missed Lindsay Ensign tonight.”

Ensign has been in the hospital the last four days with a kidney

infection, missing Corona’s quarterfinal three-game win Saturday

against Santa Ynez, Christiansen said.