Laguna Blanca’s Relentless Defense Keys Victory Over San Marcos

By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor 

When it comes to winning the long rallies, no one does it better locally than the Laguna Blanca girls volleyball team.

The Owls’ ability to convert digs into points on a consistent basis made a huge difference in a 25-21, 25-17, 26-24  sweep of San Marcos in a crosstown non-league match at Merovick Gym.

“We knew it was going to be a close match,” Laguna Blanca coach Jason Donnelly said. “We were prepared for close games, we were prepared for it to not be a sweep. We found ourselves down 22-17 in Game 3 and our kids just never stopped fighting. (San Marcos) mixed it up a lot and took us out of our game plan a little bit, but our kids stayed steady to the end.”

Sophia Fay and Caylin Zimmerman led the Laguna Blanca defense with 19 kills apiece. Kelly Bickett picked up 16 digs and Kendall White had 12.

Laurel Kujan, hitting from several spots on the court, led the attack with 18 kills, Julia Fay added 10 kills and Zimmerman contributed nine for the Owls (7-2), the No. 4 ranked team in Division 5 of the CIF-Southern Section.

“Laurel hits every set in the book, pretty much. But we had some other girls take big swings for us tonight,” Donnelly said. “At the end of game one, we left Laurel on the left and they doubled up on her, and Kelly set Julia Fay and she was one on one and she took a big crack at it, got the kill and we won the set.

“Our other kids stepping up is going to relieve the stress on Laurel and Caylin because they see a double block pretty consistently.”

Jenna MacFarlane delivered 11 kills to lead San Marcos (5-5), Kendall Williams had seven and Brynn Sofro chipped in five. Libero Grace Mathews led in digs with 11.

“Their defense was phenomenal tonight,” San Marcos co-coach Dwayne Hauschild said of the Owls. “For us, the difference is we got some young kids in there and we’re trying to figure out lineups. We got some injuries and stuff, too, but our youth against their experience was pretty apparent today. They were so clean it was very difficult to put a ball down.”

The Royals were missing outside hitter Sierra Paladino, who was sidelined after suffering a concussion while playing in a club soccer tournament.

A big dig by Maddie Walker that the Owls transitioned into a kill enabled them to open up a 10-7 lead in the first set.

San Marcos fought back behind the hitting of MacFarlane, a couple of plays in the middle by Molly Kirkbride and a kill by Williams to pull to 18-17. But the Owls responded on Bickett's hard-angle kill and a block to go up 20-18. Williams got one point back for the Royals before Laguna went on a four-point run.

“We’re just streaky right now,” Hauschild said. “I made this joke that we’re this cardiac team, where we have these amazing games and then less-amazing games and an amazing game and a less-than-amazing game. We have to figure out a steady heartbeat for this squad.”

On the last scoring run by the Owls, Kujan recorded a couple of kills, San Marcos bumped a ball out of bounds and Bickett put a ball away following a Zimmerman dig of a big MacFarlane hit. Julia Fay then hit off a block for the winning point.
In the second set, Bickett dug a ball and Zimmerman terminated the rally with a kill to break an 11-all tie. The Owls went on a 9-3 run to take command of the set. 

Donnelly was pleased how his team found a way to reclaim control of the match in the second set. That mettle is important for a team during the postseason.

“I thought our kids played really well early on in the match,” said Donnelly. “We were able to do the things we wanted to do and were able to take away the things they wanted to do. When that switched and we had to fight back and refine our game, that’s the stuff you’re going to take with you in October and hopefully in November.”

The Royals regrouped behind the tough serving of Williams and got to within three, 20-17. But Laguna Blanca again stepped up and scored five unanswered points. A Kujan tip and a pair of spikes for points were set up by digs from Sophia Fay and Bickett. Bickett then served an ace and Kujan blasted a ball off a block to finish the set. 

An Ellie Gamberdella tip started San Marcos on a 7-3 run in the third set, giving the Royals a 20-15 lead. A service error by the Owls and Christine Fimlaid’s kill in the middle off a Gamberdella set made it 22-17.

Kujan sided out for the Owls and tipped an overpass for a point to ignite a Laguna Blanca comeback. The Owls won another long rally when Zimmerman blasted a ball through a block and Kendall White followed with a tough serve that was shanked to make it 22-21. 

San Marcos worked hard to side out, but the Owls wouldn’t let the ball hit the floor. Kujan finished the rally and the score was tied at 22-22. White served an ace before the Royals finally sided out on a kill by Leila Parker.

“This season has been challenging in a number of ways, but trying to maintain a lead against a strong team, that’s something we have to work on and get better at,” said Hauschild.

Donnelly praised the play of White in the last set.

“Kendall plays such a huge role for us,” he said. “Both Kendall and Sophia are really, really good. Either one of those girls can be our libero, but Kendall plays the DS role. We were struggling and she goes into that game and serves us four and got us to match point. Kendall played great at the end of that match. She was a difference maker for us."

The teams trade points before Bickett gave Laguna the lead for good with a spike off the block. On the next sequence, Sophia Fay kept a rally alive and Zimmerman finished it and the match with a kill from the back row.

Click for Channel 3 coverage
Back