Corona del Mar outlasted Newbury Park in five sets Saturday to claim the CIF Southern Section Division 3 girls volleyball championship at Cerritos College in Norwalk. The Sea Kings prevailed 24-26, 25-20, 25-15, 22-25, 15-13, overcoming a late deficit in the deciding set to secure the title.
Senior outside hitter Sofia Dajnowiec powered Corona del Mar with 36 kills, attacking across the court and down the line to challenge Newbury Park’s blocking. Her final kill clinched the championship for the Sea Kings, who improved to 26-9. Newbury Park finished the match at 34-10 and will return to competition Tuesday when the CIF state playoffs begin.
The Panthers’ defense at the net and passing had helped carry them through the season, and both contributed to their challenge in the final. Newbury Park recovered from a 21-17 deficit in the opening set, with an Emmery Reynolds ace completing a four-point run that tied the score. After the teams traded sideouts, Reynolds delivered an outside kill to finish the set.
Newbury Park shifted to a 6-2 offense with a second setter after taking the opener, but problems receiving serve disrupted its attack during the next two sets. Corona del Mar won both to move ahead. Panthers coach Chris Forrest adjusted his personnel throughout the match, drawing on nearly his entire bench and moving players into different positions as he sought a more effective offense.
Those changes included using setter-opposite Keira Overbeck as an additional attacking option, shifting Reynolds into the middle and moving serving specialist Sara Vlaskovits to opposite hitter. Vlaskovits contributed six kills and five blocks across three sets of front-row play. Forrest said the team’s depth allowed it to use three different lineups, although stretches of unforced errors proved costly.
The Panthers recovered in the fourth set, recording six of their 22 blocks. Forrest said he reminded his players that they had previously rebounded after losing consecutive sets during the season. Their passing improved and they distributed the ball more effectively, helping them push the championship match to a deciding set.
That fourth-set recovery survived another setback in serve receive. Corona del Mar junior Cooper Piercey put away a Newbury Park overpass to level the score at 22. The Panthers responded with consecutive kills from senior Charley Knupp, then won the set on a Sea Kings hitting error. Knupp finished with a team-high 18 kills and two aces.
The fifth set featured six ties, with Newbury Park holding leads of 10-7 and 11-9 before Dajnowiec drove Corona del Mar’s closing comeback. Newbury Park middle blocker Emma Lundmark led all players with nine blocks, while Overbeck finished with 32 assists, five kills and two blocks. Afterward, Forrest expressed his appreciation for the senior class, including Knupp and Overbeck, whom he had coached on the team since their freshman year.
