North Torrance also seeking to make a first...
When the Redlands East Valley and North Torrance girls’ volleyball teams meet in tonight’s CIF Division II-A championship game, both will be attempting to make school history.
While the Wildcats are seeking a first-ever team title for REV, the Saxons are seeking a first-ever girls CIF team title.
Either way, expect a great match.
“I expect a good competitive match, that is what you expect for the finals,” North Torrance head coach Lawrence Hom said by e-mail. “We will have to rely on our ball control style of play in order to be effective. Serving, passing and defense wins and of course the team that makes the least errors. It should be exciting.”
REV head coach Tricia Vansant has noted that the Wildcats have a size advantage against the Saxons and Hom verifies that fact for the most part.
“They are big or at least bigger than us,” he noted.
The Saxons are led by an experienced core according to the coach. His three core players of setter Karin Ng and outside hitters Kristin McNeese and Ilyana Hernandez have all played together before high school. McNeese and Ng are three-year starters, while Hernandez is a two-year starter.
In the prior two seasons, the Saxons have been eliminated in the semifinals (2005) and quarterfinals (2006).
As for this year’s playoff run, Nag has noted the Saxons have started slowly in all of their playoff matches. That will have to change tonight if the Saxons hope to beat REV to school history.
“We’ve been able to bounce back (in our playoff games), but a slow start can’t happen when you get this far,” he said.