FULLERTON – Perhaps Jade Blevins will evolve to be more like the player her senior mentor Halland McKenna is – crafty, ever-anticipating and productive all over the court.
Sage Hill definitely wasn’t anxious for the change just yet Saturday night.
The separate charms of the Lightning’s standout hitting pair were easy to cherish in the CIF-SS Division 3AA girls volleyball final at Fullerton College.
Blevins, a freshman, scored every one of her first 10 attempts before McKenna’s tireless influence sealed the 25-12, 26-28, 25-22, 25-16 victory over Academy League rival St. Margaret’s.
The title-match win was the third in the last four years by No. 1 seed Sage Hill and Stanford-bound McKenna, who provided 19 digs and four aces along with her match-high 22 kills.
Blevins never looked nervous in her first CIF championship appearance, delivering 18 kills and only two hitting errors in 32 attempts.
Her early surge, coupled with Lina Alzuri’s effective defense and 10-point service rally, helped the Lightning (24-3) swamp St. Margaret’s (26-4) in the first set.
The Tartans, seeking to avenge this season’s two losses to Sage Hill, outdueled the Lightning late in the second set behind inspired play from outside hitter Emily Miller to even the match.
The plot continued to thicken in the third set, a see-saw until McKenna intervened. With Sage Hill trailing, 16-15, she served three aces in a five-point run that re-established the Lightning’s confidence.
Sixteen of the match’s next 26 points were scored by Sage Hill and included three kills by Blevins. The Lightning never trailed in the final set.
Strong efforts by outside hitter Kekai Whitford (16 kills, 15 digs) and setter Madeline Abbott (53 assists) also bolstered Sage Hill throughout the triumph.
St. Margaret’s was led by Miller’s 19 kills, Peighton McRobie’s 35 assists and Gabrielle Axelson’s 22 digs.
