Heading into last weekend’s competition in Las Vegas, Mira Costa girls volleyball coach Hayley Lawson-Blanchard wasn’t sure how her team would perform after it had dropped two non-league matches.
Ranked No. 5 in CIF-Southern Section Division 1, Mira Costa was coming off losses to division foes Flintridge Sacred Heart (No. 7) and Edison (No. 3) but Lawson-Blanchard came away pleased with the way her squad rebounded to finish 7th in the highly-competitive field of 63 teams at the 22nd annual Durango Fall Classic presented by Nike.
The Mustangs won their pool Friday with wins against Bonneville (Idaho Falls, Idaho), Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) and Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas) and advanced to the Championship Bracket.
Mira Costa lost its first set to Pleasant Grove (Utah) but persevered for a 17-25, 25-21, 25-19 victory.
“It was great to see the girls rally back emotionally after the two regular season losses,” Lawson-Blanchard said. “I was most proud of them on Saturday morning when we dropped game 1 to Pleasant Grove, and came back to win the next two to take the match. Pleasant Grove had two girls at 6’5, and one at 6’7, and we definitely came out scared, but our girls showed their resilience on defense, and made great adjustments to play against opponents taller than we normally see.”
In the quarterfinals, Mira Costa lost to national power Sacred Heart (Louisville, Kent.) before dropping a close consolation semifinal match to Torrey Pines 25-23, 25-23.
The Mustangs captured the 7th place match with a 26-24, 25-18 victory over Kahuka of Hawaii and was led by All-Tournament selection Hannah Scott.
San Jose’s Archbishop Mitty won the Durango championship with a 25-23, 25-19 win against Xavier Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
“Hannah Scott was a powerhouse on the outside all weekend for us,” Lawson-Blanchard said. “Amanda Montag was a great leader on the court and kept her team positive and upbeat when things weren’t going our way. Memphis Glasgow on the right side was a great balance to Hannah and Amanda, hitting .300 for the weekend and keeping the other team’s blockers on their toes.”
Mira Costa opens Bay League action Thursday with a 4:30 p.m. match at Peninsula followed by a 5 p.m. home match against Palos Verdes (No.2, Div. 2) on Tuesday.
Redondo finished second in its pool at Durango defeating Rim of the World and Beckman but dropping a hard-fought match to Fayetteville (Ark.) 25-19, 25-23.
Competing in the Bronze Bracket, Redondo defeated Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) before losing to Assumption (Louisville, KY.). The Sea Hawks beat Valley Christian (San Jose) and Los Alamitos to finish 21st overall.
Redondo is ranked No.. 9 in CIF-SS Division 1 and begins its quest for a Bay League title Thursday at Morningside before hosting Inglewood on Tuesday. Both matches are scheduled for 4:15 p.m.
