Lancers win league with undefeated run

The Avalon High girls volleyball team captured its first league championship since 2007, with a two-match sweep at Calvary Chapel, Downey on Saturday. The Lancers finished the league season at 6-0 and are 32-3-1 overall. The Lancers are awaiting the CIF-SS playoff pairings, which will be released on Saturday at noon. For more see page 10. Photo by Ted Apodaca

Avalon ends season ranked No. 2 in CIF-SS Division 9 poll

The Avalon High girls volleyball team swept both matches in a double-header on Saturday at Calvary Chapel, Downey, that clinched the Express League title for the Lancers. It was the first league championship for Avalon since 2007 and it likely puts the Lancers in a good seeding for the CIF-SS playoffs.

Last year the Lancers defeated Liberty Christian and Hesperia Christian in the playoffs before falling to Orange Vista in the quarterfinals. That loss put the Lancers in a mindset to build on last season, with a determination to make a better run. The league title was the first step.

“After all the hard work they put in this summer they came out league champions,” Lancer coach Carlos Martinez said.

Avalon had little trouble in the first match, sweeping the Grizzlies, 25-20, 25-14, 25-15. The Grizzlies fought back in the second set, sending the match to a fourth set, but the Lancers eventually put the match away, 25-14, 25-15, 20-25, 25-13.

After taking the first two sets with little trouble, the Grizzlies found some life in the third set. With Calvary Chapel leading 10-8, the Grizzlies went on a 6-1 run to take control of the set. Avalon’s lone point came on net serve by the Grizzlies.

Avalon rallied to cut the lead to 19-18, but Calvary went on another run to take a 23-18 lead. From there, the Grizzlies were able to close out the set. The fourth set would go back-and-forth early on, but the Lancers would take control late. With Avalon leading 9-8, the Lancers would go on an 11-1 run to take a 20-9 lead.

Sophomore outside hitter Virginia Soto started the rally with a kill inside the back corner. Soto would later tap a soft short in the middle of the defense to make the score 13-8. After the Grizzles added a point, a couple of errors by Calvary would give the Lancers a 15-9 lead. Giselle Alvarez had an ace serve inside the back line; sophomore opposite hitter Daniella Moreno had a kill off a tip and senior middle blocker Jazmine Cruz added a tap down on an overpass by Calvary to help push the Lancer lead to 19-9. Another Ace by Alvarez ended the run for the 20-9 lead.

Calvary would get to within 21-13, but the Lancers closed out the match with a 4-0 run. Soto started the rally with a tap to the back row. Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Hoefs had a cross-court kill to put the lead at 23-13 and sophomore opposite hitter Alana Moreno closed out the match with two ace serves.

Soto finished the day with 31 kills, 57 assists, 10 aces and 27 digs. Junior libero Yuliana Vega had 48 digs and 43 service receptions. Alvarez finished with 13 aces and 23 kills and Hoefs had 22 kills.

Moreno and Rodriguez each had six aces. Moreno had 12 kills and 26 digs and Cruz had six blocks. The Lancers finished the season ranked No. 2 in the CIF-SS Division 9 poll, after holding the spot for the past several weeks. They will get their playoff seeding on Saturday. CIF-SS is expected to announce the brackets by noon. Martinez said this year’s team looks ready for playoff volleyball.

“This team is really close, they hold a special bond with each other, and I believe that’s what sets them apart from most teams,” Martinez said.