NORWALK – The Murrieta Valley girls volleyball team etched its name into the record books on Saturday, Nov. 9, capturing its first-ever CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship in a thrilling five-set match against Palos Verdes. The Nighthawks secured the victory with a final score of 25-23, 25-14, 20-25, 14-25, 15-12, thanks to a decisive kill by Miley Thunstrom.
Leading up to this historic win, the Nighthawks had experienced a similar situation five years ago, where they witnessed a two-set lead dissolve in the finals. This time, however, the outcome was different, as Murrieta Valley overcame past challenges to clinch the title.
Thunstrom was instrumental in the victory, delivering an impressive 32 kills throughout the match. “It really came down to who wanted it more in that fifth set,” she said to the media afterwards. “We have been in that situation plenty of times this season and I think we’ve proven just how much we wanted to win.”
Palos Verdes’ Kaci Demaria, a Stanford-bound outside hitter, posed a significant challenge with her extraordinary 42-kill performance. Despite Demaria’s efforts, Murrieta Valley’s more balanced attack, including contributions from Cadence Axene, Summer Tukua, and Ryleigh Short, proved to be the deciding factor. Melanie Hewlett demonstrated her playmaking skills with 59 assists, while Short added defensive strength with a match-high 19 digs.
The Nighthawks had a strong start, with Hewlett leading her team to a combined 35 kills in the first two sets. Although Palos Verdes mounted a comeback in the third and fourth sets, Murrieta Valley maintained composure and strategy, pulling ahead in the final set.
With this landmark victory, Murrieta Valley now looks forward to competing in the CIF State playoffs, where they are expected to be one of the top seeds in the Division I regional bracket. The Nighthawks, with the No. 3 seed, will commence their playoff run on Tuesday, Nov. 12, versus Oaks Christian at 6 pm. Another familiar face from the Southwestern League is Temecula Valley, who is slated as the No. 2 seed in the same division. Both teams appear to be on a collision course as the Golden Bears will take on the Academy of Our Lady of Peace Pilots on the same day and time.
The State Championships will be held at Santiago Canyon College in Orange, with the Division I final scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the CIF State playoffs and championships are available online through GoFan.com. General admission for preliminary rounds is $9.00, with discounts for children, students, and seniors. Visit www.ciftstate.org for more information.
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