Mustangs prevail over emerging Eagle squad

Bryce Alderton

The match will go down as a sweep in the record book, but the host

Costa Mesa High girls volleyball team encountered greater resistance

that it had seen from crosstown rival Estancia in quite some time

during Wednesday’s Golden West League clash.

“This is my fourth year coaching [at Costa Mesa] and this is the

best Estancia team I’ve seen,” Mustangs Coach Allison Salladin said.

“[The Eagles] are only going to get better. It is exciting to see.”

The Eagles, who have already won more matches -- five -- than all

of last year, took an 18-11 lead in the first game, but the Mustangs

were better for the long haul, earning a 25-23, 25-18, 25-22 to

conclude the first round of league play for both teams.

The Mustangs (5-3, 4-2 in league) and Eagles (5-4, 3-3) played in

front of exuberant fans from both schools that made it difficult to

tell which was the host team.

Sophomore middle blocker Danielle Morton led the Mustangs with

nine kills and five blocks, while junior Tracy Bjelland and Jackie

Havens each tallied eight kills. Havens finished with a match-high 26

assists while senior Lindsey Navarrette Navarrette finished with 13

digs.

Morton slammed four of her nine kills and had a block in the third

game, which Mesa led, 18-10, before the Eagles scored five straight

points on the serving of sophomore Jaye Hellmich. Hellmich tallied

two aces and added a stuff block in the sequence.

Kills by Morton and Havens, both on Estancia overpasses, helped

put the Mustangs up, 23-18.

The Eagles didn’t go away, though, trimming the Mustangs’ lead to

23-22 following a kill by senior Hilary Ockey.

But the Mustangs quelled any hopes of Estancia snatching a

game-three victory with a kill from Morton and a stuff block on the

outside from Havens.

“We’re still learning how to win,” said Estancia Coach Jim

Huffman, who starts four sophomores and a freshman. “In games like

this, you need the veterans to step up and say, ‘Follow me.’ ”

Mesa starting senior middle blocker Vera Gale, playing in her

second match after recovering from a sprained ankle, helped the

Mustangs emerge from their first-game hole with seven straight

serves.

The Mustangs did it with defense, too. Junior Tracy Bjelland

finished with 10 digs while Ally Doerr and Gale added eight and seven

digs, respectively.

Salladin said the Mustangs did a better job of increasing the

tempo when they had the ball as the match progressed. She called a

timeout after Braunsdorf’s kill cut the Mustangs’ lead to 23-20 in

the third game.

“We like to play fast volleyball, getting the passes to the setter

and middles as quickly as possible,” Salladin said. “I told them

[during the timeout] to relax. Serve, receive, pass to the target and

the offense will take care of the rest.”

Senior Hillary Larson led the Eagles’ hitting attack, but Huffman

said his players still need to find the proper timing among one

another.

“We didn’t hit well [Wednesday night],” Huffman said. “It’s like a

quarterback and a wide receiver. You have to get the combinations

down.”

Both coaches hoped Wednesday’s match unlocked many more spirited,

competitive matches.

“Our girls were into it,” Huffman said. “Players dived on the

ground after balls every chance they got. I told our girls in the

timeouts that that makes volleyball fun.”