PREP VOLLEYBALL: Elsinore claims yet another Sunbelt League title

Tigers claim seventh straight Sunbelt League crown


MENIFEE ---- Chalk up another Sunbelt League title for the Elsinore girls volleyball team.

University of New Mexico-bound senior setter Mariah Agre dished 38 assists to lead the Tigers to a decisive 25-14, 25-14, 25-13 victory over Paloma Valley that clinched Elsinore's seventh straight league championship Wednesday afternoon.

The Tigers (25-2, 9-0) have dropped just three games in league play this season and are 63-11 in games overall. And with nine seniors on the roster, including a couple future NCAA Division I players, there are a lot of high hopes that clinching the league is just the start of good things to come.

"It's awesome," University of Hawaii-bound senior middle hitter/outside hitter Michelle Waber said. "We've all worked so hard in practice. We knew we couldn't underestimate any team, and we'd have to give everyone our best game."

Waber finished with a team-high 13 kills Wednesday, leading a balanced offense that kept Paloma Valley (7-12, 5-4) off-balance.

Senior outside hitter Laine Hicks added 12 kills, junior opposite Lauren Quijano had 11 kills and senior outside hitter Kyleen Iverson registered nine kills and three aces for the Tigers.

"Everyone's just way determined, especially having nine seniors," Waber added.

"Everyone wants it so bad, and everyone works for each other. Nobody's selfish."

In defeat, sophomore setter Jansen Button had 11 assists for Paloma Valley.

Elsinore led 14-10 in all three games, and in all three games the Tigers used big runs late to take control.

In the first game, Elsinore led 17-13 before finishing it out with an 8-1 run.

Agre had four assists during the final nine points, and she finished the first game with 14 assists.

In the second game, the Tigers were up 18-13 when they finished with a 7-1 run.

Agre set up six kills during the final eight points of that game.

In the third game, Elsinore used a 6-0 run to take a 21-11 lead before closing it out soon afterward.

"Nobody was selfish," Waber said. "We played as a team. We did a good job on defense and didn't make a lot of errors. That was the big thing."

Elsinore has one more regular-season game, against Lakeside on Friday, and then it's on to the CIF Southern Section playoffs, where the Tigers expect to be a major threat.

"These kids have put in a lot hours," Elsinore head coach Kim Horton said.

"It's a lot of hard-working seniors who worked well together and have good rhythm. They enjoy each other, and they work hard in practice. If the stars align, perhaps we can go the distance."


