Sunday, November 11, 2012

El Dorado Knocks The Regents Out in Five!

PLACENTIA-  The Regents came up against a much bigger El Dorado team and found themselves on the short end of the stick and bounced out of the post-season playoffs.  Despite a valiant effort, the Lady Regents did not have enough answers as the Hawks claimed victory after a five set struggle, 25-16, 25-27, 25-15, 18-25, 12-15.

St. Lucy's jumped out to an early 8-2 lead in set one and seemed to be in complete control.  El Dorado took a time out and came back firing.  They cut the lead to three, trailing 6-9 at the side out.  The Regents settled into their game and stretched the lead out again, up 12-6.  St. Lucy's continued to execute their game, Rohrer putting the ball down on the overpass for a 21-9 lead.  El Dorado made a late set run, cutting the lead to 6, but Arden Davis answered with an ace to get the Regents set point.  Lucy's took set one 25-16.

Set two may have been where the Regents lost the match.  El Dorado's number 6 was deadly with the slide attack and the Regents didn't have an answer.  Both teams played great hustling defense and made impossible digs.  Again the Regents had the early lead following an ace by Arden Davis and a kill by Roni LaPierre, which sent El Dorado to the bench for a time out, trailing 5 to 10.  Mo Hageman's tip found the floor and Desi Villajin served up an ace to extend the lead to 12-6.  The Hawks, however, came storming back.  They cut the lead to one, 15-16, before Mo Hageman was able to find the deep corner.  El Dorado kept going to their effective slide attack to level the score.  The teams traded points and the lead from that point until the Hawks tipped a kill off the block to take a 23 to 21 lead.  St. Lucy's took a time out, got the ball back on a service error, and tied it up on a kill by Mo Hageman on the overpass.  Roni LaPierre put the next one down on another overpass kill and the Regents had set point and the ball leading 24-23.  The Hawks quick set the middle for a kill and the 24 point tie.  The teams battled to a 25 point tie, before El Dorado was able to link two kills together and edge the Regents out 27-25.

The Regents regrouped and came out and executed their game in set three.  The set was tight with ties at 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10.  El Dorado pulled ahead 12-10 and the Regents took to the sidelines to talk it out.  The time out did the trick as the Hawks made a service error to side out.  Sydney Bast took full advantage of the El Dorado mistake, serving up an ace to tie the score at 12.  The Regents crept out to a 15-12 lead, forcing an El Dorado time out.  Bast's answer?  Ace 'em again.  And again.  And again.  And again.  Sydney served five aces before the Hawks were able to side out at 21-13.  The Regents closed out set three on an ace serve by Eryn Young, 25-15.

Set four was marred by many Regent mistakes.  Missed serves, shank passes, hitting errors, ball handling mistakes all contributed to the loss.  El Dorado got out to an early lead and the Regents played the entire set from behind.  The Regents took their first time out trailing by 5, 9-14.  They were not quite able to right the ship and took their second time out trailing 11-17.  This time, they seemed to pull it together and started to work their way back into the set.  Roni LaPierre crushed one down the line and sent the Hawks to the sidelines to regroup, up 17-14.  The Lady Regents kept it coming and tied the score at 17 and again at 18.  El Dorado pulled slightly ahead, 20-18 and the Regents attempted to call another time out.  Oops.  That'd be three, and point goes to the Hawks.  St. Lucy's seemed unable to overcome their own foibles and gave up the final seven points of the set without siding out.  El Dorado won 25-18.

So it all came down to the fifth set.  The Hawks had the momentum and the home crowd.  They jumped out to a 3-0 start, but the Regents battled back to tie it up at 3.  El Dorado kept taking it to the Regents, and pulled ahead 7-4 at the first Lucy's time out and 9-5 at the second Lucy's time out.  Everything was going the Hawk's way, with the setter even finding a way to get a kill on an behind the back slam.  Still, St. Lucy's did not quit.  Two consecutive kills by Roni LaPierre cut the lead to 9-7, and El Dorado took a minute to ice the server.  It worked.  The Hawks extended their lead to 12-8 before siding out on a service error.  Desi Villajin came in to serve trailing 13-8 and she was unfazed.  The Regents had cut the El Dorado lead to two, 13-11, when El Dorado took their second time out.  The Regents fought hard, but the Hawk hitters were too strong and too fast.  The Hawks took set five 15-12.

The stat leaders for the game were Vanessa Caustrita with 13, kills, Roni LaPierre with 14 or 11 kills (depending on who you ask), Sydney Bast with 18 digs and 5 aces, and Arden Davis with 29 digs and 3 aces.  It was a nice run and the Regents are to be commended on a fantastic season!  Best wishes to everyone for great club seasons.

Volleymama OUT!



Thursday, November 8, 2012

The Regents Move On To The Quarter Finals

THOUSAND OAKS-  The Regents hit the road for their second round match against the Westlake Warriors and came out victorious in straight sets, 25-16, 25-23, 25-11.  It was a match played at what my daughter would describe as "rainy day speed"; that is where you start slow and take a while to shake off the gloom.  Ultimately, the Lady Regents were able to weather the storm.

The Regents started set one in the hole, falling behind 0-3 in the opening minutes.  Loryn Carter shifted the tide with an authoritative cross court shot, and the Regents took off.  Setter Juliet McClure won the joust against the 6'3" Westlake middle to give St. Lucy's a 10-5 lead behind a nice Eryn Young service run.  The Regents played most of the set out of system and messy enough for the Warriors cut the lead from 6 to 2.  Coach Douglas called a time out after seeing the Warriors earn 5 consecutive points.  That seemed to do the trick.  As usual, St. Lucy's balanced attacking, which included a crushing kill to the back corner by Marissa Hageman and a timely block, and their steady defense, got the Regents back on track.  St. Lucy's cruised to close out set one 25-16.

Set two was a lot like set one- only worse.  Again, the Regents got a "rainy day start", complete with  unforced hitting errors, service errors, net violations, and double hits, and trailed by as many as 4.  The Regents caught up to the Warriors mid-set and were able to level it at 13.  However, they just could not get in sync and break away.  The ties continued at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21.  Finally, Vanessa Caustrita put the ball down at the 10 foot line on a killer combo, Sydney Bast served up two consecutive aces, and Loryn Carter slammed a deep line shot to get the Regents a set point.  St. Lucy's took set two 25-23 on a double hit call against Westlake.

Set three was more typical of the St. Lucy Regent Volleyball Team.   Despite several service errors, the Regents crept out to an early three to four point lead.  Dianna Rohrer displayed some smart net play, tipping to the short corner and crushing a ball in front of the defense, and Carter, Hageman and Rohrer combined to put up a formidable block.  The Warriors were worn out and the Regents took advantage.  Eryn Young finished the set and the match with two straight aces.  St. Lucy's advances to the quarter finals with the 25-11 straight set victory.

Tonight's stat leaders were Loryn Carter with 11 kills and 1 block, Roni LaPierre with 8 kills, 15 digs and 2 aces, Diana Rohrer and Vanessa Caustrita with 7 kills each, and Marissa Hageman with 6 kills and 3 blocks.  The Regents will face the winner of the El Dorado-Hart contest on Saturday.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The Regents Take the (K)night!

GLENDORA-  St. Lucy's hosted the Notre Dame Knights in tonight's first round CIF action.  Don't be tempted to overlook the Knights as an easy first round match because they came into the playoffs as an at-large bid.  This team is one to be reckoned with; a fact that the Regents learned first hand.  Ultimately, St. Lucy's won the contest in straight sets, but not without surviving a serious scare first.  Regents took the match 26-24, 25-14 and 25-18.  

The Regents won the coin flip and elected to serve.  Sophomore star Zana Muno made the Regents pay immediately, smashing the first two points with authority, and putting St. Lucy's on notice that the Knights came to play.  The teams traded points to an 8-8 tie, before Zana Muno went on a serving run.  The Regents called time out trailing 8-12, but were not successful in side-tracking Muno.  The Knights were leading 14-9 when Muno gave up the serve.  St. Lucy's was not doing itself any favors, giving up 4 service errors and falling behind 11-18.  After the Regents' second time out, Roni LaPierre's serving run cut the Notre Dame lead to just two, 16-18, and seemed to reenergize the Regents.  With the momentum shift, the Lady Regents found their stride and worked to a 23-23 tie.  Marissa Hageman's well timed block gave the Regents game point leading 25-24, and a hitting error by the Knights gave St. Lucy's an unlikely victory in set one.

Set two was all Regents.  At first it looked as if the service errors were going to continue for the Regents, but Sydney Bast came in and served up an ace and a whole lot of momentum.  Notre Dame called time out trailing 3-9.  The Regents opened the door to the Knights with rotation violations and unforced errors, but Notre Dame couldn't find a way through.  Juliet McClure ended set two for the Regents, 25-14, with an unexpected dump.

Sydney Bast got the Regents going again in set three with an ace serve and the Regents got out to a 7-2 lead by the time Notre Dame sided out Bast's serve.  Zana Muno was effective again in this set, literally bouncing balls off of the Regent defenders, but Notre Dame couldn't make a dent in the Regents lead.  The teams had a few incredible rallies in the closing points of the set, but Lucy's consistency and team play won the night.  Regents won set three 25-18.

The Regents stat leaders were Arden Davis with 25 digs and 1 ace, Sydney Bast with 13 digs and 2 aces, Roni LaPierre with 12 kills and 1 ace, Vanessa Caustrita with 11 kills and Loryn Carter and Marissa Hagemen, each with 6 kills and 2 blocks.  The Regents will face Westlake on Thursday, November 8, location to be determined.

Sadly, the other Sierra League teams did not fare as well this evening.  Ayala fell in 4 sets to Canyon, Claremont fell in 3 to Redlands East Valley, and Chino Hills gave Laguna Beach a fight, but ultimately lost in 5.

Monday, November 5, 2012

CIF Playoffs are here! Let the Games Begin...

CIF Division 1A playoffs begin tonight with a wildcard match between Bishop Amat and Notre Dame Sherman Oaks.  St. Lucy's will get the winner in tomorrow's opening round match at 7:00 pm at the St. Lucy's Gym.  Come out and support the team.  (Volleyball Now did a nice preview of the bracket.  Check it out at http://www.volleyballnow.net/submitted-news/cif-ss-division-1-a-preview-4/).

Bottom line:  The Regents will have their work cut out for them to advance in the playoffs.  Even their first round game is potentially against a quality team that has been in the top 10 for most of the year.  Let's hope that the Regent calm persists!  See you at the game.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

St. Lucy's Celebrates Its Seniors And A Perfect Season!

GLENDORA-  The St. Lucy Regents made history last night, beating Charter Oak in straight sets and finishing league play with a perfect 10-0 record.  But last night was marked by more than just the unprecedented perfect season, last night was a bittersweet goodbye to six remarkable senior players, Desi Villajin, Eryn Young, Marissa Hageman, Dianna Rohrer, Vanessa Caustrita and Arden Davis.  These ladies have represented St. Lucy's admirably, on and off of the court, and will be greatly missed next year.

Emotion may have gotten the best of the Regents for a moment, as Charter Oak started set one by taking the first two points.  St. Lucy's took the next 10.  St. Lucy's cruised to a 25-6 victory in the set and Eryn Young picked up two of her three kills in the process.  Set two came down to two factors:  dominance and presence.  Regents win 25-15.  Set three was as close as Charter Oak would get to a victory, as they were able to tie the score at 17.  The Regents buckled down when they needed to and finished off the match and the season with a 25-22 win.

Tonight's stat leaders were Desiree Villajin with 12 digs, Vanessa Caustrita with 6 kills and Juliet McClure with 29 assists and 3 aces.   Elsewhere in the Sierra, Ayala took care of Claremont and Chino Hills beat South Hills, causing a tie for third place.  Claremont and Chino Hills will play off for the final CIF berth on Wednesday at 3:30.  Post season play begins next week and the CIF pairings will be announced on Saturday, November 3, at 12:30 pm.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

St. Lucy's Takes Third in the Redondo Classic

REDONDO BEACH-  I know.  I have been woefully negligent in updating my blog.  In my defense, I'm sooooo tired.  Go ahead and dock my pay.  Wait, I don't get paid.  Hmmmmm.  How about a summary, without the details.  It's the best I can muster.

The Regents battled hard at the Redondo Varsity Classic this weekend and ended up tied for third after dropping their last match to the eventual winner and host, Redondo Union.  St. Lucy's defeated Buena in two sets, 25-13, 25- 15 and Oaks Christian in three sets, 25-21, 13-25, 15-12, before falling to Redondo in two, 21-25 and 15-25.   The Regents played hard and tough all weekend and showed some grit, buckling down when necessary and finishing games under adversity.  The Regent calm and cool served them well.

Congratulations to Arden Davis and Vanessa Caustrita for being named to the the All-Tournament Team.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Regents Go 3-0 in Day One of Redondo Varsity Classic

REDONDO BEACH-  The Regents earned a berth in the Gold Bracket of the Redondo Varsity Classic by winning pool 1, 3-0.  The Regents beat Ventura and Rio Mesa, each in two sets, took three sets to beat Bishop Montgomery, and finished Day One three and O.

Ventura was never really in it.  They struggled with serve receive, struggled with passing, struggled with serving, and struggled with hitting.  St. Lucy's capitalized on Ventura's difficulties and cruised to an easy victory, 25-10 and 25-17.

The Rio Mesa match started out similarly to the Ventura match.  Set one was never really contested.  The Regents finished off Rio Mesa in short order, 25-17 in set one.  Set two was more of a match, at least until the midway point.  But even when Rio Mesa had an early four point lead, it felt as if St. Lucy's was in control.  Evidently, they were.  St. Lucy's took care of Rio Mesa in set two 25-19.

The Regent's were tested in their final match of the day by Bishop Montgomery.  Bria Green led her team, putting the ball away on the regular.  Eventually, St. Lucy's balanced attacking got the Regents a little breathing room and a 4 point lead, 19-15.  After an effective timeout, Bishop Montgomery tied it up and even had an opportunity to take the set, serving at 24-23.  The Regents buckled down, Loryn Carter put one down hard, and the Regents took set one, 26-24.

Set two belonged to Bishop Montgomery.  They led from start to finish and seemed to have taken the fight out of the Regents.  They ran away with set two, 25-16.  The Regents did, however, have some fight left, and they found it in set three.  St. Lucy's took  the early lead, 6-3, and Bishop Montgomery took a time out in response.  They came out of the timeout on fire and went on a tear, taking the next 7 points and seemingly also taking control of the match.  Again, Bishop Montgomery had the match in hand, serving with a 14-12 lead.  The Regents dug in with smart shot making by Roni LaPIerre and clutch hustling defense by Sydney Bast and battled to an exhausting victory 17-15.

The Regents take on Buena in the Gold Bracket tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. at Redondo Union.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Lucy's Drops Its Second Set Of The Season, But Claims The Sierra Title!

CHINO HILLS-  It wasn't pretty, but St. Lucy's Regents are the uncontested Sierra League Champions with tonight's four set victory over Chino Hills.  St. Lucy's had a difficult time sustaining its customary high level play, but was able to do just enough to win 25-18, 27-25, 21-25, 25-22.

It's evident that St. Lucy's really wants to finish the season undefeated and are so close that they can taste it.  The Regents started the game as loose as they've been all season, with the entire team clapping to the beat of the music before the first serve, which just happened to be an ace by Juliet McClure.  The Huskies kept it close, trailing by only one for much of the set, and tying it up at 14 and 15.  The Regents finally broke away with a service run by Roni LaPierre to put them up 19 to 15.  Arden Davis' great defense and Vanessa Caustrita's smart shot making took it home for the Regents and they closed out set one 25-18.

Set two was a tightly contested battle from the start, with neither team enjoying more than a two point lead over the other.  Chino Hills grabbed the first lead at 8-6, but the Regents quickly tied it up.  Chino Hills pushed ahead again 13-11 and the Regents called time out to figure it out.  Momentum swung to the Regents, briefly, with a beautiful slide attack by Mo Hageman and an Arden Davis service run, forcing a Chino Hills time out trailing 19-17.  Vanessa Caustrita was in a groove in this set, consistently putting the ball down when the Regents most needed a point, but nonetheless, the game was tied at 21 and 22.  It see-sawed back and forth:  tip by Roni LaPierre to go ahead 23-22, Chino Hills answers; a tip by LaPierre again to go up 24-23, Chino Hills answers with a ball crushed down the line; a cross court kill by LaPierre to go up 25-24, the Huskies respond again.  Finally, the Regents put it away with a slide attack by Mo and win the set 27-25.

The Regents appeared to let down a little in set three, falling behind by five early on, 8-3 Huskies.  LaPierre had another effective service run and Caustrita continued her onslaught of spot-on hitting, and before you could say "undefeated", the Regents were leading 10-8.  Sydney Bast delivered an ace serve to give the Regents a 16-12 lead just prior to a Husky timeout.  Then things shifted, as they are prone to do in volleyball.  The Huskies turned it on, taking advantage of Regent mistakes, including three net calls in the last seven points, to win set three 25-21.

St. Lucy's was in rare territory for them this season:  a fourth set.  Chino Hills got out to the early three point lead, but St. Lucy's steady play got them back even at 6-6.  But those dogs had a lot of fight, and with CIF on the line, a lot to fight for, and pushed their lead out to three again.  The Regents got back to even at 11, only to see the Huskies recapture their advantage, leading 15-12.  Loryn Carter stepped up big with three consecutive blocks to give the Regents a 16 to 15 edge.  St. Lucy's sound play got the Regents up 21-16 and within striking distance of a 9-0 league record.  Chino Hills would not back down though and chipped away at the lead, cutting it to one and causing Douglas to call time out up just 23-22.  Alas, the Regents pulled it together and finished the set with an ace serve by LaPierre to end set four 25-22.

The Regents are one game away from a perfect league record and at this point have dropped only two sets in league play.  Tonight's stat leaders were Vanessa Caustrita with 18 kills, Roni LaPierre with 17 kills, 9 digs and one ace, Loryn Carter with 10 kills and 4 blocks, Juliet McClure with 2 aces, 9 digs and 54 assists, and Arden Davis with 27 digs and 1 ace.  The last hurdle for the Regents is Charter Oak on Tuesday, October 30, at St. Lucy's.  It's Senior Night, so come out and witness history being made and say goodbye to a great group of seniors.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The Regents Clinch A Share of The Sierra Title

Can you say 5-peat?  The Regents can.  With tonight's win over South Hills, St. Lucy's guaranteed itself at least a share of the Sierra League title.  The Regents were victorious in straight sets 25-15, 25-15, and 25-14.

Set one started out a little bumpy for the Regents and Coach Douglas called the girls around to talk it over trailing the Huskies 4-3.  Then Eryn Young stepped up to serve and things began to turn around.  The Regents won 6 of the next 7 points, and never looked back.  South Hills tried to switch the momentum by calling time out at 18-14 after Roni LaPierre crushed a ball just behind the 10 foot line, but mo was not on the Huskies' side.  Again, Eryn Young had the serve (and good things happen for the Regents when Eryn serves) and the Huskies did not score again until they were facing set point.  St. Lucy's won set 1 25-15.

Set two was laden with mistakes for the Regents.  If it wasn't service errors, players into the net, or misjudging whether the ball was inbounds, it was hitting or passing difficulty.  Arden Davis put the set on her shoulders with a strong service run and all-star defense and digging.  St. Lucy's drove to a familiar finish:  25-15.

Set three was good volleyball with both teams hustling and nice long rallies.  Unfortunately for South Hills, St. Lucy's was on the winning end of most of those rallies and got themselves out to a comfortable 16-5 lead behind Desi Villajian's serving.  South Hills climbed to within 6, but Alina Mota squashed their hopes of a comeback with an ace serve on the line and Rachel Cavanaugh got a kill on an overpass to end the match 25-14.

Tonight's stat leaders were Arden Davis with 29 digs and 1 ace, Vanessa Caustrita with 9 kills and Roni LaPierre with 7 kills.  When asked if the girls were excited about winning league, Coach Douglas responded that they were happy, yes, but that they want to go 10 and 0.  That's their goal.

The Regents take on Chino Hills on Thursday in what is supposed to be a home game, but due to a scheduling error by St. Lucy's, will be played at Chino Hills (in their small gym no less.)  But what could be sweeter than going undefeated in league?  That would be beating Chino Hills twice in their own house to go undefeated in league.  Come out and see if Lucy's is up for the challenge.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Regents Know How To Finish

GLENDORA-  The St. Lucy Regents continued their march toward an undefeated league season with a victory over Claremont in straight sets:  25-18, 25-17, 25-19.  Tonight the Regents played not only toward their goal of an undefeated league season, but also for a much loftier aspiration:  raising awareness and money for breast cancer research.  In the end, the girls efforts give hope to both causes.

The Regents were in command of set one for the duration.  Sydney Bast got things off to a great start with two aces and the disciplined Regents took advantage of every opening and overpass to get ahead.  The "bigs" were on fire.  Dianna Rohrer blocked big hitting Ariana Holmes, Mo Hageman hammered a slide to the 10 foot line, and Loryn Carter put up another big block to stymie Holmes.  Serving specialist Desi Villajian contributed, putting the Regents up by 10 with an ace serve, 20-10.  St. Lucy's closed out the set 25-18.

Set two was more promising for the Wolfpack as they kept it close-- for a while.  St. Lucy's however, just knows how to finish and methodically worked up a lead that Claremont could not surpass.  Hailey Hargrave served up two net assisted aces late in the set, trying to spark a come back, but it was too little too late.  St. Lucy's took set two 25-17.

Set three was the one that Claremont let slip away.  They led the set until the mid-way point, until Eryn Young's ace serve gave the Regents a 14-13 advantage and their first lead.  A blistering cross court shot by Roni LaPierre had the student section chanting "I believe that we will win" and had the Wolfpack players taking to the sidelines to talk it over.  Another impressive slide kill by Hageman and a ball crushed by Loryn Carter helped to solidify the student body's belief.  The student's were right, St. Lucy's won set three 25-19.

Tonight's stat leaders were Vanessa Caustrita and Marissa Hageman each with 8 kills, Roni LaPierre with 7 kills, Juliet McCure with 25 assists, 11 digs and 2 aces and Desiree Villijian with 3 aces.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The Regents Have A Two Game Lead in Sierra League With Win Over Ayala

CHINO HILLS-  It wasn't the prettiest win, but it was an important one.  The Regents took a commanding two game lead in the Sierra League by defeating Ayala for the second time this year in straight sets, 28-18, 25-19 and 25-20.

The Bulldogs started set one strong with a big block and impressive kill on an overpassed ball by Sam Bozoian to get out to a two point advantage.  It didn't take the Regents long to settle in and start to build their own lead.  The Bulldogs took a time out trailing 8-3.  St. Lucy's maintained the five or so point lead until Ayala made a move late in the game.  The Bulldogs cut the lead to 2, forcing a St. Lucy time out at 19-17.  Unfortunately for Ayala, the time out was enough to shift the momentum back to the Regents, who pushed to a 25-18 finish, the last point an ace by Roni LaPierre.

Ayala played from behind all of set two, despite twice cutting the gap to just one point (13-12 and 18-17.)  It seemed like every time Ayala was poised to take the lead, unforced errors would derail their effort.  St. Lucy's was not without its highlights; among them a crushing slide attack by Mo Hageman, big blocking by Loryn Carter and Dianna Rohrer and smart hitting by Vanessa Caustrita.  The Regents pushed to a 25-19 victory, Vanessa Caustrita finishing with a pretty roll shot to mid-court.

You've got to give the Bulldog's credit for their tenacity.  Ayala came out in set three with determination.  This set saw the teams tied six times and a two point Ayala lead at 15-13.  The Regents fought their way back in front and forced a Bulldog timeout trailing 20-18.  After regaining the lead and control of the set, the Regents would not allow the Bulldogs back in, and shut out the match on a kill by Loryn Carter off of the Ayala block.  St. Lucy's bests Ayala 25-20.

The stat leaders for the night were Roni LaPierre with 11 kills, 2 blocks, 8 digs and 2 aces; Juliet McClure with 24 assists, 1 block, 5 digs and 1 ace; Vanessa Caustrita with 10 kills and Dianna Rohrer with 3 blocks.  The Regent's next face Claremont on Thursday, October 18th in their annual Dig Pink match.  Come out in your pink attire and support the girls and the cause.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

St. Lucy's Sweeps Charter Oak in Freaky Friday Fashion

COVINA- The Regents finished the first half of league undefeated with a win over Charter Oak in three sets, 25-12, 25-16, 25-12.  Coach Douglas showed that any combination of St. Lucy players could get the job done, and he just might have tried every possible combination.

Set one began with the usual suspects with the exception of starting Desiree Villajin in place of Roni LaPierre as the outside hitter.  Before the set was through, almost every player had a chance to put in minutes.  Eight separate players got one or more kills in the set.  Juliet McClure continued her superb serving, adding three more aces to her stat sheet, as did Eryn Young, with two aces of her own.  The Regents owned set one, 25-12.

Douglas started taking more risks with his line-up in set two, starting sophomore Rachel Cavanaugh in the middle, Alina Mota as defensive specialist and Sydney Bast as the outside hitter. As with set one, nearly every player put in minutes before Sydney Bast put the last point on the board with a tool of the Charter Oak block.  St. Lucy's took set two 25-16.

Set three is where it felt like freaky friday.  The libero, Arden Davis played outside hitter, outside hitter Vanessa Caustrita played defensive specialist, middle blocker Marissa Hageman played right side hitter, defensive specialist Sydney Bast set, and outside hitter, Roni LaPierre, finished the match off as the Regent setter.  Junior Maddie Gilmartin did a nice job playing all the way around in the outside hitter spot, as did Eryn Young as the libero.  Different players.  Different positions.  Same result:  Regents win 25-12.

Tonight's stat leaders were Sydney Bast with 8 kills and 10 assists, Arden Davis with 7 kills and 13 digs, Loryn Carter with 7 kills, Juliet McClure with 14 assists and 4 aces, Rachel Cavanaugh with 2 blocks and Eryn Young with 9 digs.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The Regents Take Control Of The Sierra League

CHINO HILLS-  The St. Lucy's Regents took control of the Sierra League today with a road win in straight sets over Chino Hills.  The Regents played strong and confidently, unfazed by the television cameras or jeering Husky fans.  St. Lucy's trounced the Huskies 25-10, 25-21 and 25-13.

Every single St. Lucy's player who stepped on the court today contributed to this victory.  The Regents set the tone in the first game with solid play, using the corners well, mixing in crushing kills, spot on setting, tough serving and steady defense.  Juliet McClure was on, dumping a ball to get the Regents to a 9-3 lead and forcing a Chino Hills timeout.  Arden Davis' perfect pass after the timeout allowed Juliet McClure to set a slide for Marissa Hageman, which she smoked down the line for a 10-4 lead.  Chino Hills caught fire briefly and cut the lead to 3, trailing 8-11, but that was as close as they would get in this set.  The Regents buckled down, showed tremendous patience and pushed their lead to 17-9.  Following a second Husky timeout, the Regents carried on, allowing only one point before closing it out 25-10.

The Huskies looked like they might have figured things out in set 2 when they got out to a quick 7-3 lead.  The Regents talked it over and came out of a timeout with a battle plan:  play harder.  Loryn Carter crushed a couple down the line and Eryn Young served up two consecutive aces, Arden Davis, Juliet McClure and Marissa Hageman combined for a pass, set, kill slide combo, and Vanessa Caustrita put a kill down cross court to level the score at 8.   The rest of the set was peppered with long rallies, a diving one-armed dig by Roni LaPierre and impressive offense by Dianna Rohrer and Lauren Carter.  Lucy's was able to build and maintain a comfortable lead down the stretch and took set two 25-21.

The Huskies were not able to rebound after losing set two.  Lucy's enjoyed a five point lead from early on in the set and never let Chino Hills get near.  Juliet McClure's impressive serving continued as did Dianna Rohrer's tough middle play.  Everything was going the Regents way.  Alina Mota came in off the bench at 24-13 to serve, and aptly served an ace to put an end to the set and match.  And just like that, Lucy's beat the Huskies in straight sets.

The stat leaders for the night were Vanessa Caustrita with 10 kills, Roni LaPierre with 9 kills, Loryn Carter with 8 kills, Arden Davis with 14 digs, Juliet McClure with 28 assists, 10 digs and 4 aces, and Dianna Rohrer with 2 blocks.  The Regents keep improving from game to game.  Heading toward the second half of the league in sole possession of first place, their prospects for a Sierra League 5-peat are looking good.  There is no reason to think that they will not take care of business and continue to play high level volleyball.  If you don't believe me, take a look for your self.  Today's match will be rebroadcast on Time Warner Cable, Channel 101, on Friday at 9:30 pm, Sunday at 4:00 pm and Monday at 7:00 pm and midnight.  

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Regents Take Down South Hills in 3 Game Sweep

GLENDORA-  Debuting their pink cancer awareness jerseys, the St. Lucy Regents faced off against the South Hills Huskies earlier this evening.  While the Regents came out "pretty in pink", the Huskies came in ready for a dog fight- full of energy, spirit and all-out play making.  The Regents, unfazed by the attack, kept their cool and won in straight sets 25-17, 25-18 and 25-21.

It appears that someone forgot to tell the Huskies that they should be intimidated by St. Lucy's four consecutive Sierra League titles and back-to-back CIF Championships, because South Hills stormed into St. Lucy's gym with conviction, attitude and fire.  Their libero, Riena Ono, dug tough shot after tough shot and the Husky energy kept South Hills in the thick of it to a 13-13 tie.   Then freshman Loryn Carter got hot, putting the ball down on blazing swings and getting the Regents out to a 19-15 lead.  Following a South Hills timeout, Eryn Young consolidated the lead with an ace and did not relinquish control of the serve until the lead had stretched to 22-15.  Roni LaPierre finished off the set on a back row attack to the deep corner.  Although Juliet McClure set the ball, Arden Davis is deserving of an assist as well for her mid-approach communication to LaPierre that the right back corner was open.  Lucy's took set one 25-17.

Set two did not start out as well for the Huskies, but that is not for a lack of intensity.  The Huskies kept coming.  Unfortunately for South Hills, they did not play as error free as they had in the first set.  Lucy's on the other hand, stayed composed, brought consistent team play and built an 18-12 lead that forced a Husky timeout.  After the timeout, the Regents lost their rhythm for a spell and watched their lead dwindle to 19-16.  Coach Douglas called a time out of his own, after which the Regents found their groove and cruised to a 25-18 victory.

Dianna Rohrer kicked off set three with a big roof of the Husky middle and the Regents got out to the quick lead, 6-3.  Arden Davis was on fire, serving 2 aces and passing three-option pass after three option pass.  But those pesky Huskies wouldn't back down.  The set was tied at 7, 8, 11, 13, 16, 17, 18 and 19 before the Regents could break away for good.  Marissa Hageman smartly pushed the ball to the  deep corner to give Lucy's the 20-19 edge.  Juliet McClure utilized her attackers well, setting a beautiful quick to Dianna Rohrer to take a 22-19 lead and moving the ball to the right where Loryn Carter put a cross court shot down to finish set three, 25-21.  Although it was a sweep for the Regents, the Huskies made them work for every point and played fantastic volleyball.

The stat leaders for South Hills were McKissick (#32) and Gonzales (#2) with 9 kills each, Donnelly (#23) with 16 assists and Oho with 11 digs.  The stat leaders for St. Lucy's were Roni LaPierre with 18 kills, 11 digs and 1 ace,  Loryn Carter with 11 kills and 2 blocks, Arden Davis with 19 digs and 2 aces, Sydney Bast with 15 digs and 1 ace, and Juliet McClure with 31 assists, 2 kills and 2 aces.


The Regents Take Care of the Wolfpack in 4

CLAREMONT-  So this posting is a day late and a many dollars short, and it may well be my last post on this site if I cannot solve the technical problem I encountered the other day.  Don't fret though, if this site cannot be repaired, I will simply start anew.  My revised blog, if it comes to fruition, will concede that others are not as interested as I am in posting about their teams and will be a blog dedicated to St. Lucy's Volleyball.  Look for LucyVBallProps.blogspot.com in the future if you cannot find any updates here.

Enough about me.  On Tuesday, the Regents had to face a fired-up Claremont team in a den of hostile wolf fans.  Despite error ridden starts to just about every set, the Regents persevered and found a way to win in four, 25-18, 25-22, 23-25, 25-17.

Set one began with a Regent serve into the net and a lot of errors.  St. Lucy's was behind 7-9 when setter Juliet McClure dumped one for a winner and sparked a five point run for the Regents.  The Regents were able to maintain that space for the remainder of the set.  Dianna Rohrer blocked a Claremont tip attempt to the floor to give the Regents the ball leading 22-18.  McClure took control and finished off set one with some tough serving.  Regents took set one 25-18.

Set two also began with a Regent serve into the net, in fact the first three Regent serves were into the net.  Loryn Carter kept the Regents close though as she smashed one cross court and tooled the block on another to establish her presence.  The score was tied at sixes, sevens and eights before St. Lucy's started squeaking out a lead.   Trailing 9-12, Claremont called a time out.  The Regents appeared to be cruising through set two, maintaining a three to four point lead most of the way and stretching it to 20-14 following two impressive kills by Roni LaPierre and an ace serve by Eryn Young.  Claremont came out of a timeout on fire and cut the lead to three, forcing a Lucy's time out.  In the end, it was not enough, Regents won 25-22.

Ironically, set three started out positively for the Regents with Dianna Rohrer serving up a couple aces and Arden Davis, Eryn Young and Sydney Bast digging up balls that Ariana Holmes was murdering.  Claremont took a time out with a 10-15 deficit to try to figure out how to get the rocket shots to actually hit the floor.  Carolyn Bird helped the Wolfpack's effort with two ace serves that cut the lead to one, 14-15.  A back row attack by Roni LaPierre and two kills by Loryn Carter regained the Regent's breathing room for a 19-15 lead.  But Ariana Holmes was not ready to quit.  Holmes smoked a deep shot off of Arden Davis' arm to get the ball back to the Wolves and give them much needed hope.  Holmes' spark quickly grew to a Claremont blaze and the Pack fought their way to a 25-23 win behind smart hitting by Holmes and Madison Shapiro.

Set four belonged to the Regents from the start.  Lucy's got out to a 7-2 lead.  Holmes continued to crush the ball and keep the Wolves in the hunt but a well-timed slide kill by Marissa Hageman and some tenacious play at the net by Vanessa Caustrita kept the Pack at bay.  Claremont took a timeout trailing 19-11 and then made a good push to close the gap, but Lucy's was too strong.  The Regents took set four 25-17.

The Regent stat leaders were Roni LaPierre with 16 kills and 10 digs, Loryn Carter with 12 kills and 1 block, Vanessa Caustrita with 8 kills and 1 block, Dianna Rohrer with 5 kills and 3 blocks, Arden Davis with 19 digs, Eryn Young with 2 aces and 16 digs and Juliet McClure with 39 assists and 8 digs.  Next up:  South Hills.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

St. Lucy's Beat the Bulldogs in League Opener

It just so happens that my daughter's BFF is the amazing setter at Ayala, so this match, which I've dubbed "The Battle of the Besties" had particular significance for us.  Despite a promising beginning, the contest turned out to be one-sided as the Regents swept Ayala 25-21, 25-18 and 25-20.

Ayala got out to a quick 4-2 lead in set one, but that was one of very few leads the Bulldogs would enjoy all evening.  The teams chased each other back and forth to a 10 point tie before the Regents began to pull away.  Roni LaPierre got things started with a solo block, which was followed by tough serving by Sydney Bast, and hustling defense by Arden Davis, Eryn Young, Bast, and LaPierre.  Before Ayala could say "Bulldog" the Regents had taken a 22-16 lead.  Ayala made a late-set push and closed the gap to 3, forcing a St. Lucy's time out at 24-21.  St. Lucy's came out of the time out and finished set one on a tool of the Sam Bozoian block by LaPierre.

Sets 2 and 3 lacked any real verve.  The Bulldogs fell behind by ten points and took a time outs trailing 6-12 and 7-17.  The Ayala coach urged his girls to get out and play with heart, and the message started to get through.  At one point, three Ayala players found themselves tangled in the middle of the court as they hustled to save a ball (and win the point.)  They cut the lead in half, trailing just 14-19, but could get no closer.  Loryn Carter tipped to side out at 20-14 and the Regents raced to the finish line, winning set two 25-18.    Set three was more of the same: even start, followed by the St. Lucy's slow build to a five point lead at 8-3.  Ayala called a time out to disrupt Arden Davis' service run and reduced the lead to just one, 8-7.  Marissa Hageman's persistence at the net, combined with good pin play by Vanessa Caustrita, Loryn Carter and Roni LaPierre got the Regents to a 20-14 lead.  Ayala made yet another late-set run and cut the lead to 3 at 20-23.  St. Lucy's was never in any real trouble though and closed it out 25-20 with a cross-court kill by Maddie Gilmartin and an ace by Juliet McClure.

The stat leaders for St. Lucy's were Juliet McClure with 3 aces, 6 digs and 23 assists, Roni LaPierre with 9 kills, 10 digs and 1 block, Vanessa Caustrita with 8 kills and 2 blocks, Loryn Carter with 7 kills and 1 block and Marissa Hageman with 3 kills and 1 block.  The Regents next game is Tuesday, October 2nd, at Claremont.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

St. Lucy La Salle Match Lives Up To The Hype!

GLENDORA-  The St. Lucy Regents took on their newest rival, La Salle, in a grudge match of all grudge matches.  The Regents beat the Lancers in last year's CIF final to capture the ring and bragging rights.  A hot La Salle team, coming in off of consecutive tournament wins and with something to prove came into the Regents house in hopes of taking some revenge.  The Regents, however, had another plan in mind, defeating the Lancers for the third consecutive time in a grueling 5 set match 28-30, 25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 15-12.

The Regents came out in set one playing a little tight and the Lancers came out on fire.  La Salle's defense was tenacious and got the Lancers out to a 3 point lead.  Juliet McClure served up three consecutive aces to tie the game at 12 and force a La Salle timeout.  From that point the teams battled, trading a one and two point lead and playing UNBELIEVABLE defense on both sides of the net.  La Salle appeared to be in the driver's seat with Hailey DeSales serving and a 2 point edge at 20-18, but Lucy's got the side out, Arden Davis got the ace and we had a new game, tied at 20.  Then the race was on.  La Salle got a kill down the line- 21-20.  Roni LaPierre tipped the ball over to tie it 21-21.  La Salle got a kill tooling the block and went ahead 22-21.  LaPierre tipped again to tie it at 22.  Sydney Bast came in and gave the Regents the lead with an ace, 23-22 Regents.  A service error gave the ball and a tie back to the Lancers.  Loryn Carter smashed a kill cross court to give the Regents set point at 24-23.  Hailey DeSales responded with a monster kill to tie it at 24.  La Salle dug up two balls that Loryn Carter crushed, but could not get to the soft tip.  The Regents had another set point, and another service error, sending the match to ties at 26, 27 and 28.  La Salle finally got the edge after a highly contested point ended with the ball dropping in the back corner of the Regent's court.  The Regents mishandled the serve receive and La Salle closed out set one, 30-28.

Set two began with the teams sparring, trading jabs and points.  A solo block by Marissa Hageman gave the slight lead to the Regents at 5-3, which they consolidated with a well executed back court attack from Bast.  Hageman and LaPierre paired up for another block and the lead became a three point spread.  The Regents maintained a three to four point lead and trailing 12-16, the Lancer's took a minute to talk it over. After the time out, Roni LaPierre served up three aces in a row and the Regents took their defense to an even higher level, forcing La Salle to take another break, this time trailing by eight points, 14-22.  La Salle attempted to mount a come back, but a wicked cross court cut by Vanessa Caustrita put the Regents up 24-19.  The Regents went on to win set 2 25-20.

Set three was all St. Lucy's.  They got out to an early lead, 12-7, and never looked back.  Despite solid play on both sides of the net, and more incredible defense, Lucy's coasted to an easy victory, 25-18.  At this point, the La Salle Lancers stepped outside of the gym to have a chat.  I'm not sure what the coach told them, but whatever it was invigorated the team and they came out in set 4 like wildcats.  The Lancers quickly got out to a 12-4 lead, treating the Regents to a Lancer block party.  The Regents found themselves down 18-10 before Vanessa Caustrita put a stop to the bleeding with a kill cross court.  The Regents seemed to find their focus and began chipping away at the lead.  The Regents pulled to within one point, trailing 22-23, with the serve, but sided out.  The Lancers took advantage of an overpass on the serve receive and took set 4 with an easy kill.

As some predicted, this match between two very good and very tough teams came down to the fifth set.  The Lancers had the momentum going into set five and got started with an ace.  Dianna Rohrer and Loryn Carter's dual block awakened the crowd and just like that, the momentum shifted.  Both teams played their hearts out and the match was tied at 7, 8, and 9.  Vanessa Caustrita got a ball down to send the Regents ahead 11-9, and send the Lancers to the bench for a time out.  The Lancers battled back, cutting the lead to one, 12-11 by tipping the ball over on two, and following with an ace serve.  The Regents called time out, came back on court, Mo Hagemen crushed the ball on a well executed slide and Lucy's had the lead 13-11 and the ball.  Loryn Carter delivered a  paralyzing kill down the line to give the Regents match point.  The Lancers weren't ready to board the bus just yet and sided out, still hoping to pull out the victory but trailing 14-12.  Freshman Loryn Carter, playing well beyond her 13 years (yes, she's 13) got the final kill to end it.  St. Lucy's wins 15-12.

This game was hyped up in the press and on social networks and actually lived up to the hype.  Don't be surprised if you see these teams matched up again in the post season.  St. Lucy's and La Salle are both the real deal!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Regents Take Down the Cougars in 4!

GLENDORA-  The Regents dispatched Rancho Cucamonga in 4 sets, but it was not easy!  Still smarting from day two at Durango, the Regents got off to a slow start, falling behind the Cougars in set one by as many as 10 points.  Like true champions, Lucy's shook off their blues and picked up their game, closing the gap to get within striking distance.  Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, and the Cougars took the first set 25-21.

Set two began with the teams trading points.  Eryn Young vaulted the Regents to the front on a six point service streak that put the Regents up 12-7.  The Regents never lost the lead again, but just barely.  Rancho chipped away until they were trailing by just a point, 20-21.  Marissa Hageman had an answer and put the ball down in the corner to give the Regents breathing room at 22-20, then Sydney Bast served up an ace to get the Regents to set point leading 24-20.  Roni LaPierre put an end to the threat and the set with a kill for the win, 25-21 and the match was even at one set a piece.

The Regents got off to a much better start in the crucial third set, building a 10-4 lead; Vanessa Caustrita's tool of the block energizing the crowd and forcing a Cougar time out.  The Regents stretched their lead to 17-8 with a lot of hustle and heart, digging balls that looked like sure kills, covering blocks well and picking up the tip shots.  St. Lucy's ran away with set three, 25-14.

St. Lucy's could not sustain the momentum of set three, and started set four with several service errors.  Arden Davis made an amazing dig to keep the Regents from falling down 1-4.  The game was tied at 6 before St. Lucy's started to inch out a lead.  The Regents appeared to be in the driver's seat when Juliet McClure served two aces in a row and took the lead to 14-9.  McClure and Hageman hooked up to run a picture perfect slide, Mo's kill putting the Regent up 20-15.  Desiree Villajin got the final kill with a back row attack to give St. Lucy's the win 25-17.

The stat leaders were Juliet McClure with 37 assists, 12 digs and 3 aces; Vanessa Caustrita with 17 kills, Loryn Carter with 13 kills, Roni LaPierre with 12 kills and 6 digs, Arden Davis with 26 digs, Sydney Bast with 12 digs and 3 kills, Dianna Rohrer with 2 aces, 3 blocks and 4 kills and Marissa Hageman with 6 kills and 2 blocks.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Day Two at Durango Proves To Be Too Much For The Regents

LAS VEGAS-  Suffice it to say that it was not St. Lucy's day.  I will spare you the gorey details, but the problems can be summed up like this:  tougher competition than they've ever seen, atypical sluggishness, uncharacteristically poor ball control and unusually high errors.  The result:  the Regents went 0 and 8 in Day Two of the Durango Classic.  The Regents lost in straight sets to Horizon (Scottsdale Arizona) 22-25 and 19-25; Liberty (Bakersfield) 19-25 and 19-25; Notre Dame Academy (Park Hills Kentucky) 24-26 and 21-25; and Long Beach Poly 22-25 and 12-25.  On the bright side, St. Lucy's finished a program best 16th in a field of 48 extremely strong teams, had many moments of brilliant play and knocked off Xavier (number 18 in the Nation) to get to the championship round.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

St. Lucy's Moves Into The Durango Classic Championship Division Qualifying Round

HENDERSON, NEVADA-  The St. Lucy Regents have played their way into the Durango Fall Classic Championship Division qualifying rounds for the first time in the program's history by going 1-1 in pool play and winning their cross-over match earlier this evening.  Here's how the day played out.

There are no easy teams in this tournament, and the Regents saw first hand just how tough the competition is when it faced last year's CIF State Semi-Finals foe La Costa Canyon and 2-time CIF opponent South Torrance in pool play.  LCC took its match against South in 3 contested sets; 17-5, 25-14, 25-17.  Then it was the Regents turn with South.

In typical fashion, Lucy's got out to an early lead, forcing South to call a time out trailing 2-7.  Undeterred, the Regents kept marching, stretching their lead to as many as 8.  But South found something in the tank and mounted a furious comeback.  They cut the lead to 1 point at 20-21 before siding out with a service error.  That was all the Regents needed and they closed out the set on a kill by Princess Vanessa Caustrita to end the game 25-21.  Set two looked like it was going to be all St. Lucy's, who got out to a 20-12 lead behind some crushing kills by Loryn Carter and incredible defensive play by Princess Arden Davis.  South, not one to go easy into the night, rallied for a few late pushes but just did not have enough to overcome the deficit and ended up losing the second set 19-25.  South's 0-2 start set up a battle between LCC and the Regents for first place in the pool.

It was indeed a battle.  Lucy's and LCC started set one strong, trading points until LCC picked up the pace and was able to amass a 15-10 lead.  The Regents found themselves trailing by 7 points before they were able to put the wheels back on the wagon, but they did eventually find their stride.  Eryn Young made a nice mid-set service run, getting the Regents to 15-17 and forcing LCC to take a time out.  Undaunted, and un-iced, Eryn followed the timeout with an ace and eventually the Regents tied the game at 17.  Back and forth it went from there, with ties at 17, 19, 20 and 21.  LCC was able to pull it out in the end and hand the Regents their first loss of the season, 25-23 LCC.

Set 2 was contested start to finish.  Each team would get a one to two point lead here and there, Lucy's doing it behind great serving by Princess Davis and Sydney Bast, and great team play on both sides of the net.  They were tied at 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 18, 20 and 23.  The Regents took a 21-20 lead on a solo block by Roni LaPierre and stretched their advantage to 23-21- which LCC quickly erased.  This time it was the Regents who had a little bit extra in the end and they were able to close out the set on a tip to the front corner by middle Dianna Rohrer.

Set 3, however, was a different story from the previous sets.  LCC looked to be in control of the match from the start and ran up a 20-12 lead.  But those gutty little Regents just don't have quit in them.  They dug down and found the energy to climb back into the set and cut the lead to 6 at 15-21, but that's as far as they got.  LCC took the set 25-16 and the match 2 games to 1.  This loss set the Regent up to play a cross over match against the first place winner of Pool 12, Xavier.

The Regents clearly did not like coming out on the losing end of the LCC match and they took their frustration out on a surprised Xavier team.  The Regents led set 1 from start to finish, with a baffled Xavier team calling time out trailing 2-7 and again trailing 7-13.  Mo Hageman broke the set open with a strong service run that extended the Regent lead to 11 at 18-7.  St. Lucy's took set 1 25-14.

Xavier came out strong in set 2 and took a 4 point lead, which they maintained for a while.  At mid-set, the Regents were finally able to make their move.  The Regents tied the game for the first time at 11 and took their first lead on a service ace by Roni LaPierre to go up 12-11.  Then Princess Davis went to work.  She had been playing lights out all day and capped the night off with an 8 point serving streak that included 2 aces and saw the Regents leading 21-13 before Xavier finally sided out.  The Regents closed out the match when outside hitter Maddie Gilmartin tooled the block to finish set 2 25-15.

The Regents take on Horizon tomorrow morning at 8:30.  The winner of that match will move into the top 8 and compete for the Championship.  Stay tuned volleyball fans.  I'll keep you posted!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Saints Sweep the Bearcats!

LaVERNE-  The San Dimas Saints swept the Bonita Bearcats in their cross-town/ intra-district rivalry match, 25-10, 25-19 and 25-20.

The Regents Keep Their Winning Streak Alive

GLENDORA-  The St. Lucy's Regents kept their winning ways alive with another sweep, this time defeating Los Altos 25-20, 25-15, 25-17.  Juliet McClure served up a storm in set one, with 5 service aces in 6 attempts, leading Lucy's to the comfortable win.  Set two was typical Regent fare: winning by an efficient ten-point margin on strong team and defensive play.  Set three saw some standout play by Mo Hageman, with a couple crushing kills and impressive roofs, but also some uncharacteristic defensive errors.  Coach Douglas called time with a 15-14 lead and apparently put the girls back on track as they rallied to a 25-17 finish, relying on more tough serving by McClure and a dual block by Rohrer and Caustrita to close the books.  I did not get the stat leaders, but check your newspaper in the morning because there was a reporter on site.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Bonita Tennis Keeps on Rolling

WALNUT-  Bonita Varsity Tennis kept its winning streak going last Thursday when it beat Walnut 10-8.  This is the first time in 9 years that the Bearcats have enjoyed a victory over Walnut!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

St. Lucy's Keeps On Sweeping

RANCHO CUCAMONGA-  The Regents kept the pre-season sweeps going when they took on the Los Osos Grizzlies earlier this evening.  St. Lucy's downed Los Osos 25-18, 25-14, 26-24.

The match started in the same manner as the other pre-season matches, with the ladies of St. Lucy's Priory dictating play.  Midway through the first set, the Regents led by five and stretched that lead to seven before they were through.  Set two went much the same way, with the Regents jumping out to an early lead and never looking back.  They took set two by 11.

However, the young and resilient Grizzlies were not quite ready to throw in the towel.  Los Osos came out ferociously in the third set, and jumped out to an early lead on some tough serving by Ashley Kaylor.  Then the battle began.  The teams traded leads of two to three points and exhibited a very high level of play on both sides of the net.  St. Lucy's Coach Douglas called a time out with his team trailing 20-21, and the Regents came back to even the score.  Then freshman Loryn Clark hammered a shot down the right side to give the Regents a 22-21 lead.  The teams fought back and forth and found themselves tied at 23, at which point the Grizzlies served an ace and gained the opportunity to put the set away.  Lucy's leveled it at 24 with strong defense and went ahead 25-24 on a tip to zone 4 by Marissa Hageman.  Arden Davis made a crucial dig on the next point, Juliet McClure pushed the set to the outside, and Roni LaPierre finished the match with a kill down the line.

The stat leaders for the night were Roni LaPierre with 15 kills and 12 digs, Marissa Hageman with 11 kills, Loryn Carter with 9 kills, Dianna Rohrer with 8 kills, Arden Davis with 14 digs, Eryn Young with 11 digs and 4 aces, and Juliet McClure with 44 assists and 2 aces.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Ayala Starts The Season Strong!


CHINO HILLS-  Ayala defeated Glendora in 5 on August 30th in a nail biting match.  After losing the first set 27-25, Ayala bounced back and took set two 25-19.  Glendora, struck again, taking set three 25-20.  Ayala returned the favor, easily defeating the Tartans in set four 25-17.  Both teams battled in set five, with Ayala coming out victorious, defeating Glendora 17-15.


UPLAND-  Ayala traveled to Upland to face the Highlanders on September 4th. The Bulldogs came out strong and won the first set 25-19. Upland regrouped and came back to win set two 25-16. Ayala easily won the next two sets 25-14, 25-14. Ayala will face Corona Santiago at home next Tuesday at 5:30.

Tennis Anyone? Bonita Says Yes!

LA VERNE-  Bonita Varsity Tennis was victorious against Alta Loma High School on Tuesday afternoon at Bonita.  Singles and Doubles contributed 6 victories each resulting in a 12-6 score.  Bonita Tennis is now 5-1 heading into their first league match this Thursday against Walnut.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

The Regents Tame the Bearcats!

LA VERNE--  The Regents marched into Bonita's beautiful new gym and soundly trounced the outmanned Bearcats!  Both the Frosh/Soph and Junior Varsity teams took their matches in two.  Then came Varsity... for a final sweep of the night, taking the match 25-12, 25-8 and 25-15.

Bonita never really got within striking distance.  They were simply outmatched in every position.  Loryn Carter, Dianna Rohrer and Marissa Hageman put up a block that was just too big for the tough hitting but much smaller Riley Inman.  Coach Douglas utilized some of his very deep bench, giving time to newcomers Rachel Cavanaugh and Desi Villajian, with Cavanaugh ending the second set on an ace serve.  Sydney Bast took a turn at setting in the third set and kept the Regents in the mix.  Ultimately, the usual suspects brought the match to a long hot end!

The stat leaders for the night were Roni LaPierre (9 kills), Vanessa Caustrita (7 kills), Loryn Carter (7 kills, 3 blocks), Dianna Rohrer (6 kills/3 blocks) and Arden Davis (12 digs).


Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Ayala Looks Good In Double-Header Scrimmage

CHINO HILLS-  On Tuesday, August 28th, the Ayala Bulldogs took on back-to-back scrimmages against Alta Loma and Centennial, playing the best of three.  My girl on the ground reports that they swept Alta Loma 3-0 and went 2-1 against Centennial.  I don't have the game scores for Alta Loma, but Centennial went 23-25, 25-11, and 25-17.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Looking for reports...

I know that there are scrimmages and contests going on out there in the Prep sport world.  Share your reports!  Join my blog team.  Look for coverage of today's Ayala scrimmages later on this evening.  Hopefully my "girl on the ground" will fill me in on how it goes down!  I'll keep you posted.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Initial Post for Prep Props

Who out there is dying to read more about what's going on in local high school sports (Baseline, Hacienda and Sierra Leagues) other than the big three (football, basketball and baseball)?  Poor Fred Robledo can only do so much.  And as well as he does with the limited resources available, those of us interested in more marginalized sports like volleyball, water polo, tennis, etc., are left wanting.  HERE'S OUR ANSWER!  I've decided to start a blog/forum to POSITIVELY cover prep sports in our area!

Here are the rules.  I will post "articles" covering what I know (St. Lucy's volleyball) and I invite others to post "articles" covering their sport.  All coverage must be positive- hence the name PrepProps!  I'm not professing to be unbiased- how can I be?  I'm a parent.  But I'll do my best to be balanced and I ask that you do the same.   Ideally, articles will be posted shortly after a contest concludes so that people can come here to find out who won a particular game, and how they did it!  If you plan to join my blogging team, you must keep your agendas to your self, and your gripes about coaching, players and parents silent.  In the words of Chaka Khan- just "tell me something good!"  Never, never, never single out a player for a mistake; always, always, ALWAYS give them a shout out for a job well done.

Since I did not decide to do this until this morning, the best coverage I can give for St. Lucy's scrimmage against Flintridge Prep will lack detail- but I promise to do better in the future.  SO, here we go.  Enjoy my blog and if you are interested in joining my blogging team, let me know who you are, what school/sport you will be covering, and I'll authorize you to post your articles here.

GLENDORA--  St. Lucy's Volleyball team began it's quest for an unprecedented third CIF title on Thursday evening.  Unquestionably, the Regents will have their work cut out for them, having graduated some great senior talent AND being moved up a division, but from the looks of things, they just might be up to the task.  The Regents swept the Rebels, 25-?, 25-?, 27-25.

This is where I would normally do the run down of how the games went, but I didn't know I'd be doing this so I don't have any notes and don't want to report inaccurate information.  What I can tell you is that some players really made an impression, starting with freshman sensation, Loryn Carter.  It is a daunting task to be asked to fill the shoes of CIF Division ll AA Player of the Year Jasmine Warmington;  Loryn did so in impressive style.  It's going to be fun to watch her develop in this program.  Sophomore setter Juliet McClure did a great job moving the ball around and establishing that the Regents can attack on the outside (Vanessa Caustrita and Roni LaPierre), in the middle (Dianna Rohrer and Mo Hageman)  on the right (Loryn) and from the back row (Sydney Bast).  The back row play was awesome.  Eryn Young, Arden Davis and Sydney Bast brought their A games in the libero position, digging and passing what looked like sure kills.  Sydney, who had several aces in the match, put an end to the Rebels short-lived hope with deadly serving to close out a contested third set.