The goal of a CIF Championship was within reach, but the Bishop Diego girls’ volleyball team ended up on the wrong end of a five-set classic.
The Cardinals suffered a heartbreaking loss to Long Beach Poly 25-27, 25-22, 16-25, 25-14, 15-12 on Saturday in the CIF-SS Division 3 Championship game at Cerritos College.
“You couldn’t be prouder of this group. Everybody comes to the CIF Championship and wants to win, but only one team gets to walk away with a victory,” said Bishop Diego coach Dillan Bennett. “To get to this position with this group of kids is a testament to how hard they’ve worked.”
The main take away from the Cardinals postgame was that the season is not over. Bishop Diego still has an opportunity to make a run in the state tournament. All teams that reach the CIF Finals are included in the state tournament brackets.
Bishop Diego started strong in the decisive fifth set and took a 3-1 led after back-to-back kills by UCLA-commit Eliana Urzua forcing a Long Beach Poly timeout. Urzua extended the Cardinals’ lead to 4-1 by adjusting to an awkward set with a left-hand swipe that dropped in.
However, the Jackrabbits showed the resilience of champions, ripping off four straight points capped off by an Aleeya Salima spike that tied the score at 4-4.
The epic back-and-forth continued as a kill by Long Beach Poly 6’ 3” middle blocker Kristen Dear gave the Jackrabbits a 9-8 lead. Bishop Diego’s Nicole Schuetz came back with a spike off the block that evened the score at 9-9.
A mishandled ball violation on Bishop Diego gave Long beach Poly its first two-point lead of the fifth set a 11-9. But Schuetz delivered a spike that cut the Cardinals’ deficit to 11-10.
A spike off the block and out of bounds by Salima increased the Long Beach Poly advantage to 12-10 and prompted a Bishop Diego timeout. Eliana Urzua followed with spike from the back row the brought the Cardinals within a point at 12-11.
Back-to-back points by Long Beach Poly om a kill by Salina and a hit by Eliana Urzua that was called out near the back line increased the Jackrabbits’ lead to 14-11. Urzua hit down the line to keep Bishop Diego alive and cut the deficit to 14-12.
The final sequence began with a powerful spike by Long Beach Poly’s Cedra Saolotoga-Talaga. Bishop Diego’s freshman Natalie Chan came up with a beautiful dig, but a miscommunication allowed her pass to hit the floor, and the Jackrabbits exploded in celebration.
“I always say in the fifth set we need to start out really strong because it’s only to 15, so that was our main focus. We did a really good job of that and went up by two, but kind of lost it with our serve receive,” Eliana Urzua said. “I’m just trying to keep my head high and wait for the state came that is coming on Tuesday.”
Bishop Diego was poised and determined as they built a 2-1 set lead. A brilliant serving run by Karina Urzua erased Long Beach Poly’s six-point lead in set one. The Cardinals clinched set one on a spike from the back row by Eliana Urzua.
Karina Urzua and Eliana Urzua both finished with four aces.
Long Beach Poly clinched set two on a soft tap to the deep court by Dear that found the floor.
The Cardinals dominated set three and took a 2-1 set lead after three consecutive aces by Eliana Urzua closed out the set 25-16. Long Beach Poly turned the tables and took set four 25-14 after a Bishop Deigo hitting error.
Schuetz, a Loyola Marymount commit, finished with a match-high 19 kills. Eliana Urzua was right behind her with 17 kills. Salotoga-Talaga finished with 14 kills to lead a balanced Long Beach Poly.
“I feel like it’s giving us more motivation,” said Schuetz of the loss. “We have that loss and now it’s just going to make us want to push harder, try harder, get better and try our best to win state.”
State playoff brackets will be released Sunday afternoon.