CdM sees title slip away in five-game final

CYPRESS - Halfway through Game 5, the Corona del Mar girls volleyball team could envision a first CIF title since 2004.

Unfortunately for the Sea Kings, Marymount of Los Angeles didn’t entertain the same thoughts.

Top-seeded Marymount rallied from a 7-3 deficit to win the fifth game and the match, 27-25, 21-25, 23-25, 25-18, 15-12, over the second-seeded Sea Kings at Cypress College on Saturday.

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The title was the second consecutive CIF-SS Division 1A crown for the Sailors. Marymount (23-4) defeated Laguna Beach in last year’s final.

“It is one of those things where as a coach, you ache for your players,” CdM coach Marissa Booker said. “Right now, that’s where I’m at. I feel for them.”

This was the first final finals appearance for CdM since 2009.

CdM (31-4) led, 7-3, in the fifth game, only to see Marymount storm back with seven consecutive points. CdM rolled off three in a row, all kills from Hayley Hodson, to tie it, 10-10.

Marymount then grabbed the lead for good with three consecutive points and the end came soon after for CdM. After a service error cut Marymount’s lead to 14-12, a CdM service error, ended the match.

“Us losing the match had nothing to do with her serve,” Booker said. “Us losing had to do with us not being able to pass and serve receive. The whole match we struggled with our passing.”

This was the second match of the season between the two teams. Marymount defeated CdM in four in the semifinals of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions on Oct. 29.

Hodson led CdM with 20 kills. Britton Taylor had 15 and Grace Kennedy 11.

Manon Greskovics-Fuller led Marymount with 23 kills. Kaity Edwards added 17.

CdM pulled out close victories Games 2 and 3, but was dominated Game 4, sending the match into a fifth and deciding game.

“The games where we were passing the ball and the passing percentage was good, we won,” Booker said. “It is not brain surgery to figure out that you need to pass and serve receive.”

CdM will receive a berth in the CIF State playoffs. The pairings will be announced today. CdM will likely be on the road in the Division 1 bracket.

The state playoffs will begin Tuesday. The finals are Dec. 3 at Concordia University.

The first job will be to get refocused after a disappointing loss.

“It doesn’t feel well,” Booker said. “It also isn’t over. We have a long road ahead of us. Monday coming into practice, they can’t have those looks on their faces that they have right now. We still have a season ahead of us.”