VAN NUYS — Tuesday night’s CIF State Division V Regional Final proved that volleyball can be a game of runs.
Bell Gardens (24-18) defeated Reseda (20-4) in four sets, 25-15, 16-25, 25-17, 25-18, to lift the regional title.
Bell Gardens advances to face Immanuel of Reedley in the state championship game Friday at Santiago Canyon College in Orange.
The match saw both teams go on significant scoring runs to split the first two sets.
Bell Gardens started the night off strong, winning the opening frame 25-15. It was the first set Reseda dropped in the regional playoffs.
The early points were divided between both schools but in the middle rallies, the Lancers took over.
A significant driving engine for Bell Gardens’ opening-set win and overall performance was Karina Toro. One of the tallest players on the court, the senior middle blocker’s presence in the center court was clear on both sides of the ball.
Lancers head coach Caleb Ortiz said a minor positional adjustment fully unlocked Toro’s abilities.
“Once we started noticing their middle was tipping shots on us, we told Karina ‘Hey, move a little bit to the right’ ” because she keeps dumping the ball on the left side,” Ortiz said. “She did an amazing job stopping her after that.”
Defensively, Toro was all over the place, meeting Reseda players at the net and coming up with solo blocks. After her team was down 5-1, Toro made the equalizing kill and the lead-changing block in back-to-back plays.
Reseda’s approach to blocking was more team-oriented, sending two players at a time to block. On the other hand, Bell Gardens mostly sent Toro or teammate Adamari Carillo. Carillo, a sophomore who played multiple positions on the court, kept her team in the third set with her defensive efforts.
While Bell Gardens dominated the first frame, Reseda responded in kind in the second. The Regents, who won the L.A. City Division III title on Nov. 9, never looked back after taking an early 2-1 lead and took a 25-16…
Read the full article here
