WESTWOOD – The Temecula Prep girls’ volleyball team captured the programs first-ever section championship when they swept Geffen Academy (17-6) in the CIF Southern Section Division Eight finals Saturday, Nov. 4, in Los Angeles.
After going 12-0 to win the South Valley League title, Temecula Prep (27-5) were the No. 1 seed in Division 8. Heading into the finals, they brought a 13-match winning streak with them to Marymount High School, which is a scary stat line for any opponent. On top of that, behind the gameplay of junior middle blocker Abby Pekrul, the Patriots only dropped one set during the entirety of the playoffs.
Along with Pekrul (averaging 5.4 kills per set in the quarters and semis), junior middle blocker Sidney Gray (10 kills in the semis), and junior setter Jane Bacani (five aces in the semis), Temecula Prep has been unstoppable. In front of a packed house in Westwood, as both teams took the court to warm up, Geffen Academy, who finished third in the Coastal League, seemed up for the challenge.
Temecula Prep jumped out to a quick lead drilling five aces in their first fourteen points, allowing seven in return. With a 22-12 lead, the Patriots looked like they would sail through the first set, but the Bruins found their groove when they went on a 6-0 run to bring the score close at 23-18. Temecula would close out the first set 25-19 as Gray powered her third kill past the Bruins defense. Pekrul would lead the Patriots in that first set by drilling home five kills, followed by Nola Fairburn with four of her own.
The second set was a bit closer as Geffen Academy trailed by two points half way through, but a 13-3 run by the Patriots would seal the deal on set two at 25-14. Three kills and four aces from Pekrul stunned the Bruins as Fairborn’s four kills and Gray’s blocking up the middle helped keep Temecula Prep’s energy on high.
Geffen Academy took control of the third set right out of the gate with a 6-1 run, but Patriots head coach Donald Reyes got some composure back when he called a quick timeout for the girls. Temecula Prep pushed back to pull within two points at 9-7, then both teams went on a back-and-forth run to tie it all at 15 apiece midway through the set.
After erasing an eight-point deficit, Temecula Prep would pull out all the stops, finishing the Bruins off with Gray landing another kill off Geffen Academy’s Libero, claiming the school’s first section title for any sport with a 25-17 victory. Pekrul would walk away with MVP honors.
“The team was focused all year on getting better and pushing their limits,” said Reyes. “It paid off tonight.”
The complete roster for Temecula Prep includes Naya Mejia, Jane Bacani, Abby Pekrul, Sophia Masek, Nola Fairburn, Selome Kosoko, Angelina Browder, Sidney Gray, Sofia Yoshisaki, Amanda Greener, Isabella Hassankhail, and Kalea Mejia.
The CIF State Regional bracket pairings were announced Sunday, Nov. 5, but Temecula Prep, who would have been a lower seeded team, opted out. Reyes said they had to make a tough decision, which was the best one for the team.
*All bracket schedules/scores for Southern Section Divisions can be found online at www.cifss.org.
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com.
