It was a match they’d just as soon forget, yet it was a season that will be remembered for a long time.
Redondo’s girls volleyball team had its record-breaking year come to an end Tuesday when host Marymount convincingly defeated the Sea Hawks 25-16, 25-18, 25-13 in the CIF Southern California Regional Division 1 final.
Marymount, which has seven South Bay players on its roster including seniors Tori Jasuta, Chandler McGrath and Cassie Zimnoch and sophomores Kelly Byrne and Mia Mason from Manhattan Beach, advances to face Northern California champion St. Francis of Sacramento in the CIF State Division 1 championship match Saturday at 8 p.m. at Concordia University in Irvine.
Celebrating her 18th birthday, Skylar Dykstra led Redondo with eight kills. Brianna Lanktree added seven kills, and Hannah Mosebar contributed three kills and a block.
But in the end it was Marymount who did the celebrating as the Sailors proved it was no fluke when they defeated top-ranked Redondo in five sets to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1-AA championship.
It was quite a ride for Coach Tommy Chaffins’ squad that finished with a 37-5 record, the most victories by a boys or girls team at Redondo.
The Sea Hawks began their season with a second-place finish in the highly-competitive Ann Kang Invitational in Hawaii in August.
In September, Redondo placed third in the prestigious Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas, losing only to Torrey Pines, the nation’s top ranked team at the time on Sept. 15. It was the last loss Redondo would suffer until its loss to Marymount in the CIF finals on Nov. 17. The Sea Hawks were able to avenge its loss with a sweep at Torrey Pines last Saturday setting up the rematch with Marymount.
Included in its 30-match win streak were sweeps over each Bay League foe including rival Mira Costa, which saw its 27-year run as league champion, come to an end.
Chaffins said he was proud of the season his team had and was happy for the success his seniors were able to enjoy. Tuesday’s loss ended the Redondo careers of Kristen Armstrong, Olivia Bustamante, Dykstra, Andrea Gonzalez, Maya McEwen, Sade Mendez, Mosebar, Katie Rotondo and Tasia Vlahakis.
But the cupboard if far from bare for Chaffins with many underclassmen getting plenty of playing time this season. Varsity members expected to return next season are freshman Norene Iosia, sophomore Abril Bustamante and juniors Skye Compton, Petra Grutzik, Lanktree, Leilani Martinez and Marissa Mitter.
