really stuck with them,” Romero-Parks said. “The disappointment after that match was extremely high because we didn’t play well that night. And these girls vowed to never have that feeling again.”

Romero-Parks loaded up the team’s nonleague schedule this season, including a trip to Hawaii for the prestigious Ann Kang Invitational. The Nighthawks went 4-4 against some of the nation’s elite squads, with one of those wins coming against perennial powerhouse Redondo.

“Going to Hawaii was very important for our team,” said Thunstrom, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter who said she will sign a national letter of intent next week with Saint Mary’s. “We really bonded as a team during the trip, and that team chemistry just gets stronger each and every day.”

Murrieta Valley went on to claim a share of the Southwestern League championship after splitting its matches with Temecula Valley. That was a significant moment, as it marked only the fifth league title in the program’s history and its first since the 2009 season.

And this time, the success has carried over into the postseason. The Nighthawks (28-7) swept Ridgecrest Burroughs in the opening round before winning back-to-back five-setters over West Ranch and Orange Lutheran. Murrieta Valley then swept Etiwanda to reach the championship match.

“In the past, I think we let (playoff matches) get into our heads too much,” said Short, a 5-11 outside hitter who will be signing with Sacred Heart next week. “Now we treat it like any other match. We just need to play the way we know we can play and get the job finished.”

The chemistry between a setter and her outside hitters is crucial. Hewlett always seems to be in sync with Short and Thunstrom because they also have played together at the club level at times in recent years. Short and Thunstrom combined for 68 kills over the past two matches.

“We have played so long together that I know exactly what they want whenever I’m setting them the ball,” said the 5-9 Hewlett, who will follow in the footsteps of the DeBoer twins at San Francisco State. “It’s almost like we can communicate without even saying a word.”

Saturday’s title match against Palos Verdes will be one of the final steps of a four-year journey that started with unusual circumstances.

“It has taken a lot of hard work to get here. We don’t take it for granted because this is something not a lot of players get to experience,” Hewlett said about playing for a CIF Southern Section championship. “It all seems a bit crazy to be here, but it’s also something we always knew we were capable of doing.”