The Mater Dei student section fired up the “MVP!” chants for senior outside hitter Alyse Ford early in Tuesday’s CIF-SS Division 1AA semifinals match.
She didn’t disappoint them with her performance in the match.
Ford led visiting Mater Dei with 23 kills and 26 digs in a 25-20, 13-25, 25-15, 26-24 victory over Corona del Mar, advancing the Monarchs (28-10) to Saturday’s girls volleyball final against Redondo Union.
“That team is just a little bit more physical, and it is quite a luxury to have a player like Alyse on your squad,” CdM coach Steve Astor said. “She does so much. It is obvious when she hits, everyone sees that, but as a blocker she took away so much of our offense just by herself … She was too much for us.”
Ford got the Monarchs rolling with six kills in the first set.
A slow start at the outset of the second set derailed the Monarchs early and they were never able to recover. They got back on track in the third set.
“In set two, I think it was our passing that broke us down,” Ford said. “Once we started focusing on our passing, the setting and hitting just comes naturally. So we just need to focus on our defense, our offense will come.”
Mater Dei coach Dan O’Dell said it was Ford’s best match of the playoffs.
In the fourth set, Mater Dei took a 13-9 lead, but Corona del Mar stormed back and tied the set at 13-13.
It was a side-out battle until Mater Dei went on a 4-0 run to take a 23-20 lead. The Monarchs closed the match with consecutive points, the final one coming on an ace from Shannon Scully to seal the victory.
Scully added 10 kills and Brittany Welsh had eight and five blocks. Emillie Wright had four aces. Payton Chang had 30 assists and five kills.
“I think the playoffs have been a coming out party for Shannon Scully,” O’Dell said. “Everyone knew we had Alyse, Payton and Brittany, but it was, whom else does Mater Dei have that they can make a run with?
“With (Scully’s) passing, hitting and her defense, she just does it all.”
Katie Craig led the Sea Kings with 10 kills. Jessie Harris and Natalia Bruening had nine and seven.
The Monarchs will face Redondo on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Cerritos College.
In the 1A semifinals:
Santiago of Corona 3, Villa Park 0: The second-seeded Sharks (35-2) proved to be too much for the visiting Spartans (26-7), winning 25-15, 25-19, 25-21.
In the 3AA semifinals:
St. Margaret’s 3, Quartz Hill 0: Emily Miller had 16 kills and 17 digs and Peighton McRobie had eight kills and 17 digs to lead the host Tartans to a 25-16, 27-25, 25-21 victory. They will face Academy League rival Sage Hill in the final. The date and time of the match will be announced today by the CIF-SS.
Sage Hill 3, Elsinore 0: The Lightning lost its first set of the playoffs, but still advanced to the finals with a 25-8, 25-15, 19-25, 25-23 victory.
In the 3A semifinals:
Saddleback Valley Christian 3, La Sierra 0: The Warriors picked up another sweep, this time against La Sierra, 25-7, 25-20, 25-14, to advance to the finals.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
