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Ever since losing to Alemany in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship last season, the Oaks Christian girls volleyball team has wanted another shot.
They’ll get that rematch against the team that’s been motivating them all season when the Lions host their second straight CIF final in the Division 3 final on Saturday at 6 p.m.
“From the beginning, in the back of our minds, we want to play like we’re playing Alemany,” Oaks Christian coach Julie Bennett said.
Alemany girls volleyball tops Oaks Christian in five-set thriller for first-ever CIF title
It will be almost exactly one year ago since Alemany claimed the program’s first-ever CIF title in a five-set thrilling victory over Oaks Christian when the two face off again. Alemany’s outside hitter London Wijay had 35 kills.
Both teams will look similar to last year, but Alemany has an extra layer of maturity. Last season, Alemany was unranked in the CIF Southern Section polls for most of the season before coming in and winning the Division 4 crown.
This season, the Warriors have started to believe their own hype. They’ve been atop the same poll they were left out of a season ago and are led by Wijay, a Texas A&M commit. Most of Alemany’s players are also part of Supernova, which came off a successful club volleyball season.
“The girls are starting to believe in their potential, and I think their potential is starting to come out more,” Alemany coach Morgan Wijay said. “I think last year they were kind of believing it because coach Morgan said so.”
The Warriors (24-6) have been battle-tested by a tough Mission League schedule that included Division 1 playoff teams in Sierra Canyon and Marymount. They also competed in the Durango Fall Classic, a tournament that featured quality teams from around the country.
The Lions (28-3) made league play look easy, winning every single set in every single Marmonte League match. They’re an experienced group with 11 players returning from last season’s team, including senior outside hitter Nicole Zake.
However, Bennett has seen leadership roles take all forms this season on an offense that can score from multiple angles.
“It’s not just one person that takes over, necessarily,” Bennett said. “I think that’s kind of cool, just to see them mesh and kind of figure that side of things out together.”
London Wijay is surrounded by middles Havyn Rolle and Victoria Phillipova. Together, the three have the ability to overwhelm teams.
“They get kills together,” Morgan Wijay said. “These whole playoffs, you can’t just get ready for one girl, you have to get ready for a lot of girls. Oaks Christian is very similar. They have a lot of fire power too and you have to respect it.”
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Both coaches gave their respective teams the day off Monday, then cohesive scouting and game planning began Tuesday. With a week between the semifinals and the finals, both teams expect to enter Saturday’s contest refreshed both physically and mentally.
The Oaks Christian gym is expected to be full and loud, similar to the environment of last season’s championship game. In addition to the Lions’ home crowd, Morgan Wijay said that two fan busses will be coming from Alemany, along with the cheerleaders, dance team and possibly the band.
“Last year our school showed up for us big time,” Bennett said. “I don’t think a seat was available. So to be able to have that same environment and experience, it’s just such an exciting atmosphere for the girls to play in and showcase their hard work.”