SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – If Mater Dei gets challenged in Trinity League girls volleyball, JSerra just might be one of those teams that will do so.
The Lions swept Orange Lutheran in three sets 25-19, 25-12 and 26-24 in the league opener for both.
JSerra, No. 7 in the Orange County top 10, improved to 14-6 overall. Orange Lutheran, in the county top 10 until this week, is 13-9 overall.
The Lions’ 26-24 third-set win was a comeback. They trailed the Lancers 8-1 in that set.
Sophomore outside hitter Presley Johnson led JSerra in kills with nine. Lions sophomores Emma Champagne and Charlotte Nowak had eight and six kills respectively. JSerra senior setter Jessica Bates contributed five kills and 23 assists.
Orange Lutheran freshman outside hitter Westley Matavao led the Lancers with nine kills.
JSerra coach Mike Murphy said the third set displayed some of the Lions most important strengths.
“We’re pretty deep on this team,” Murphy said. “The reinforcements, the subs that we used, took care of business. It was a good team win.”
JSerra senior libero Payton Mossbarger’s third ace of the match tied the third set 14-14. Champagne had two kills over the final points of the JSerra third-set rally.
Bates said the Lions were good Tuesday in a variety of categories.
“We played good defense and our blocking was really good today,” said Bates who committed to UC Irvine. “We were serving really consistently so that was great.”
JSerra put together a 6-1 run midway through the first set to pull away from the Lancers. The Lions never trailed in the second set. Matavao and Adisyn Tognazzini led Orange Lutheran to its strong start in the third set before JSerra got hot to catch and pass the Lancers.
Orange Lutheran plays at county No. 4 Santa Margarita in a league match Thursday. JSerra is at county No. 1 Mater Dei in league play Thursday.
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