CHULA VISTA — If having a tough schedule makes a team battle-tested, it’s no wonder that pressure never entered the minds of Eastlake’s girls volleyball team this playoff run.
Facing ninth-seeded Rancho Bernardo in Friday’s CIF San Diego Section Division 1 Championship, Eastlake brought firepower from every conceivable spot, relying on their steady seniors to earn an emotional 25-17, 25-13, 25-23 sweep.
“My seniors are battle-tested in terms of the club circuit in terms of developing into those leaders that they’re showing themselves to be now,” Titans coach Lizbeth Lau said. “It was very critical for them to stick together and support each other because there are times when we cracked a little, but we were able to stay together, drive our team forward and be able to achieve this.”
Both teams will learn their CIF State Championship tournament fate when brackets are released Sunday.
Senior outside hitter Ivanna Rivera-Vargas was unstoppable for No. 2 seed Eastlake (26-11). She finished with a match-high 11 kills and as she put away balls from the outside, right side and back row all night.
Her swing put the finishing touches on the sweep.
“Right at the beginning (of the season), I saw our players and knew we had the potential to work through anything and have the mindset to just keep going and finish what we set out to do,” said Rivera-Vargas, who also had two blocks. “We played a lot of very high and very athletic teams so coming into DI (in the playoffs), we didn’t have a cocky attitude but we had a confident attitude that we should be the winners.”
The Titans schedule this season included playing four of the eight teams in the Open Division. They also played Division I No. 1 seed Sage Creek (a 2-1 tournament loss) and swept rival Otay Ranch.
Playing tough teams throughout 2024 paid off for the Titans whenever the pressure increased on Friday. The Broncos (19-18) scored more than three consecutive points just once all night, a 5-0 run in the third set that gave them a 19-18 lead.
But a center line violation and two hitting errors toward the end of the set ruined their chances of a comeback.
Rancho Bernardo won three straight road playoff matches to get to the title game, an impressive sign of resiliency for a team that weathered a nine-match losing streak before winning its regular season finale.
“They’ve got that tenacity and we showed that on this run,” Broncos coach Evan Humphrey said. “And even tonight after those first two sets we weren’t playing well, but the girls battled in that third set, and we were one or two points away from taking a set and who knows what happens after that? They played their hearts out.”
Outside hitter Abby Miller led the Broncos with six kills and an ace. Six-foot-five middle Hannah Jonick chipped in with five kills and two blocks. Abigail Lesagonicz had three aces, all in the aforementioned 5-0 run in set three.
Defensive specialist Noelle Barcas led the serving effort with four aces for Eastlake.
As good as Rivera-Vargas was, the Titans featured a balanced attack behind the setting of senior Kenidee Wax. She distributed the ball to Ariel Chime (nine kills, two blocks), Seapora Hayes (six kills, one block) and Elizabeth Heath (five kills).
“In practices we talk about a confident mindset,” Wax said. “It’s really nice to be able to trust all of the players on the court. I trust them with every swing. It feels amazing. It means a lot to me being my senior year. We knew what our goal was, and we really wanted this.”