From STAFF REPORTS | Photography by Richard Quinton Westridge coach Otto Lacayo said well before Tuesday night’s CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal that his Tigers would have to play near perfect volleyball to upset visiting Sierra Canyon. It wasn’t that he doubted his program’s talent or effort, it was Lacayo knows the Trailblazers were loaded with […]
From STAFF REPORTS | Photography by Richard Quinton
Westridge coach Otto Lacayo said well before Tuesday night’s CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal that his Tigers would have to play near perfect volleyball to upset visiting Sierra Canyon.
It wasn’t that he doubted his program’s talent or effort, it was Lacayo knows the Trailblazers were loaded with players that will be compete at the highest level in college.
Sierra Canyon won the CIF-SS Division 4 title a year ago, and they moved up to Division 3 this year, as did Westridge.
And Tuesday, they lived up to their hype by handing the Tigers their first (three out of five set) defeat of the year, and did so in rather quick fashion.
The Trailblazers earned a 25-12, 25-13 and 25-15 victory to set up Saturday’s championship match with La Salle at Cerritos College.
The top-seeded Lancers outlasted Sage Hill on the road in a five-set thriller.
Makana Meyer (9 kills) and Allison Martinez (7) combined for 16 of Westridge’s 21 kills, but both Tigers’ stars were kept well below their season averages.
Nichole Gibbs added 4 kills, and Krystal Raymundo contributed 19 assists and 5 digs.
Westridge has made history the past two seasons, including a pair of Prep League championships, and they earned CIF-SS semifinal appearances in Division 4 last year and Division 3 this season.
So, the girls, the coaches and the school should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments.
Lacayo also wanted to thank the student body and 
fans for filling up the Tigers gym, and said his girls and program were very appreciative of their presence and support.
Westridge’s season, though, is likely not over, as the Tigers are expected to have earned a spot in the CIF State tournament that begins early next week.
Quotable:
Westridge coach Otto Lacayo: “Sierra Canyon played a great game. We had a few moments but we just couldn’t string together enough good plays. The team wasn’t happy with the loss but we are going to learn from it. Now, we plan on focusing on our next challenge in the state playoffs. I know it hurts now but we will recover and be ready for our next match. The team really wanted to thank the fans for coming to support. There was a ton of love coming from the stands and we were very appreciative.”
