Mater Dei Upsets Top-Seeded Edison

Chelsea Pavlik didn’t have to wait long for her luck to change.

Pavlik had one of her best matches of the season Tuesday night for the Santa Ana Mater Dei girls’ volleyball team, tallying 17 kills to lead the Monarchs to a 25-22, 25-23, 25-23 victory over top-seeded Huntington Beach Edison in the Southern California Regional Division II championship match at Edison.

The victory advanced the second-seeded Monarchs (28-4) to the state finals for the second consecutive season, where they will try for their first title.

As for Pavlik, a junior outside hitter, the victory helped erase the memory of a dreadful performance in the Division II-AA final 10 days earlier. That day began with Pavlik breaking a mirror in her home and ended with third-seeded Edison upsetting the top-seeded Monarchs in four games.

“She thought she was going to have bad luck for the next seven years,” Mater Dei Coach Karin Thomsen said.

Pavlik accounted for three of Mater Dei’s final four points in the opening game Tuesday, sealing the victory with an off-speed kill over Edison blockers. She helped the Monarchs rally back from 8-2 and 21-19 deficits in the second game, again scoring the final point on a flat-footed spike that ricocheted off two blockers.

Mallorie Croal, who finished with nine kills for the Monarchs, then teamed with Jessica Hoffmann to block Colleen Burke for the final point.

Ashley Collier had 14 kills and Burke added 11 to lead the Chargers (25-7).

Dan Arritt

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San Diego Francis Parker d. L.A. Marymount, 25-20, 25-19, 29-27 -- The host Sailors were denied an opportunity to play for a fifth consecutive state Division IV title, but the biggest loss came the night before when freshman setter Sam Selsky injured her right knee in practice.

Marymount (31-9) was clearly affected by the loss of Selsky, who hurt her knee colliding with a teammate. Senior Kaitlin O’Reilly, a defensive specialist, took over at setter and played admirably, but the Sailors never recovered.

Parker (28-2), which lost to Marymount in the regional semifinals last season, seemed to be in control throughout. Despite a game-high 15 kills from senior Sue Carls, Marymount held the lead only six times.

Eric Stephens

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Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World d. University of San Diego High, 25-18, 15-25, 27-25, 32-30 -- Sonja Newcombe had 15 kills, 10 blocks and 18 digs and setter Nique Fradella had 45 assists, six blocks, three kills and 10 digs for the Fighting Scots (28-1).