Edison girls’ volleyball dethrones defending Division 2 champion Vista Murrieta
The contrast in styles could not have been more vast, the scrambling skill set of the Edison girls’ volleyball team matched up against the blocking prowess of Vista Murrieta.
It made for a riveting affair, one that saw the Chargers strike back after dropping the first set en route to reaching their second CIF Southern Section quarterfinal in as many years.
Opposite Molly McCluskey had 20 kills, 23 digs and four service aces to lead Edison to a 23-25, 25-21, 25-23, 27-25 win over defending Division 2 champion Vista Murrieta on Saturday at home.
“They were such a great blocking team,” said McCluskey, who also had 1½ blocks for the Chargers. “They did amazing, but we definitely had to hit super-high over them, try to hit off the high hands. That was really important because they had amazing blocks.”
Edison (16-12) boasts a senior-laden roster, six of whom figure prominently into the team’s rotations. Setter Sophie Vienna, who had 40 assists and 15 digs, saw McCluskey have a big night on the right side in showcasing her versatility with offspeed offerings.
Although several of the seniors plan to play in college, they’re not ready to look that far ahead just yet.
“We just want to leave everything on the court,” Vienna said. “It’s our last season. We’re so grateful to still be here, and we just want to fight.”
Pulling the strings from the service line late was outside hitter Adia McCown, who dropped in three consecutive aces to wipe away two of three set points faced by the Chargers in the fourth set.
“We’ve been on them this entire year about kind of slowing down the process on the service line and putting yourself in a position where you can confidently hit your area and just put it on a single target,” Edison coach Elias Perez said. “This has got to be probably one of our best nights of the season, where we were accurate from the service line and really focused on hitting our areas one at a time.”
Three points later, Edison had avoided a looming fifth set and advanced to the quarterfinals. Outside hitter Summer Witherby and middle blocker Morgan Gillinger combined on a block to earn match point, and Witherby’s ensuing kill converted it.
McCown had 13 kills, 11 digs and five aces for Edison. Witherby added 10 kills and two total blocks, and Gillinger contributed seven kills and two blocks. Libero Sammy Wood had 10 digs and six assists.
Edison heads to Orange Lutheran on Wednesday, seeking to return to the semifinals after being eliminated in that round of the Division 3 playoffs by eventual champion Mission Hills Alemany last season.
“I hope we can make it to the finals,” Wood said. “I think we’re definitely going to make a good run. As long as we keep going like this, I think we’ll be pretty good.”
Vista Murrieta (17-10) produced 14 blocks as a team, led by Charlotte Underwood’s five total rejections. Madison Pulsipher had 12 kills and two blocks. Lilliana Montes and Kyleigh Moore each had 10 kills.
Also in the CIF Southern Section girls’ volleyball playoffs:
Newport Harbor 3, Santa Margarita 2: Ella Olson had 30 kills and 13 digs, as the visiting Sailors edged the Eagles 25-19, 25-18, 13-25, 23-25, 16-14 on Saturday in a second-round match of the Division 2 playoffs.
Drue Coberly handed out 46 assists to go with three blocks and two kills for Newport Harbor (17-15), which plays host to Long Beach Wilson (27-8) on Wednesday.
Vladimira Kotzakov added 13 kills for the Sailors. Fiona Gaffney provided 17 digs defensively, and Zoe Gaa chipped in with four kills and six blocks. Emery Nichols served up three aces.
Beckman 3, Marina 0: Korynn Mayo had 14 kills, but the Vikings were ousted by the top-seeded Patriots 25-18, 25-9, 25-14 on Saturday at home in the second round of the Division 3 playoffs.
Marina (17-13) earned its playoff berth via a Wave League second-place tiebreaker match against Laguna Beach.
Moorpark 3, Costa Mesa 0: Aubrey Spallone had a team-high 16 kills, but the Mustangs were swept by the Musketeers 25-19, 25-10, 25-22 on Saturday in the second round of the Division 6 playoffs.
Kaitlyn Yagerlener added nine kills for Costa Mesa (20-7), which was the third-place team in the Orange Coast League this season.
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