HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: Matadores make move

By Eric Terrazas, SGVN
Twitter.com/WhittierPreps

LA MIRADA – La Mirada High School ran into early roadblocks, but finished strong to defeat Cerritos in five games (20-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-11, 15-12) in Thursday’s Suburban League girls volleyball action.

Armed with momentum from winning the third and fourth games, La Mirada raced out to an 11-5 lead in the deciding fifth game.

Sara Hickman made four kills during the Matadores’ surge that also produced an ace from Selena Cartznes.

Cerritos, which into the match undefeated in league action, put together one last rally as it won five consecutive points. Stephanie Malouf and Arnelle Duru led the Dons’ run, each making two kills. But the Dons would draw no closer.

La Mirada scored the next three points to move within match point.

The Dons then cut the Matadores lead to 14-12 on Duru’s kill and a La Mirada error. The Matadores, however, secured the victory on a Cerritos serving error.

“We finished strong and that’s what I liked to see,” La Mirada coach Linda Reich said. “Finishing is one of the things we needed to work on and we did that.”

Hickman paced the Matadores’ attack with 16 kills and Valerie Montoya had 12 kills. Matadores setter Kyli Watkins contributed with 40 assists.