St. Paul and Walnut playing for titles

CIF-SS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

Ashley Victorian of St. Paul, voicing her approval in the semifinals, and the Swordesmen play Laguna Beach for the Division 7 title. Keith Birmingham / staff photographer

Image

By Fred Robledo

frobledo@scng.com

The St. Paul girls volleyball team is hoping to finish a dramatic one-year turnaround this weekend.

St. Paul (21-9) will play for the CIF-SS Division 7 championship today on the road against surprising finalist Laguna Beach (10-25) at 6 p.m. St. Paul is trying to win its first section title since beating Sonora in the Division 5 championship in 2017.

The Swordsmen are back in the championship round after beating Whittier in the semifinals. The Swordsmen dropped the first set before going on to beat the Cardinals 20-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-19.

A year ago, first-year St. Paul coach Riley Keley watched her team struggle to a 4-17 record. Now, it’s playing for a CIF-SS title.

“These girls have worked so hard. Last year we finished league 0-12, this year it’s a complete 180,” Kelly said following the team’s win over Whittier. “Super proud of all of them. We have three starting freshmen, some seniors that want to leave a legacy behind and I’m just super proud of them.”

St. Paul relied on outside hitters Kailee Mejia and Jayla Esquivel to lead them in the semifinals. Both players have played well during the team’s playoff push.

Laguna Beach has 25 losses this season, but the Breakers hail from the tough Pacific Coast League that saw Rosary Academy and St. Margaret’s reach the Division 3 playoffs. Also, Northwood, the team Laguna Beach tied for third in league with, reached the Division 4 playoffs.

The Breakers played a difficult nonleague schedule, too, so that might explain the team’s success in the Division 7 playoffs.

The Breakers defeated Paraclete in four sets in the semifinals 25-22, 11-25, 25-23, 25-21.

In the Division 6 final:

Walnut (19-12) at Hesperia Oak Hills (17-7), today, 4 p.m.

The Mustangs finished second in the Palomares League, but earned the No. 3 seed and have played like it. They have reached the CIF-SS championship game for the first time in program history.

The Mustangs dominated their first three playoff opponents, sweeping San Jacinto, Trinity Classic Academy and Liberty before being pushed in the semifinals by Crossroads.

The Mustangs prevailed in the battle with Crossroads 25-21, 26-24, 21-25, 25-14.

Oak Hills should be a tougher test for the Mustangs, having gone through a more difficult side of the playoff bracket.

Oak Hills beat Costa Mesa in five sets in the quarterfinals, then knocked off South Pasadena, one of the San Gabriel Valley’s top teams, in three games in the semifinals.

For the Mustangs to win, they have to figure out a way to contain Oak Hills’ Keonahi’ilani Solaita, who is among the top 10 in the CIF-SS this season for kills with 439.