La Reina Reaches Promised Land by Defeating Marymount for Title

Promises can be broken. Or forgotten.

This one was remembered and delivered.

Before the girls’ volleyball season began, Jennifer Ryan told captain Ashlie Hain that Thousand Oaks La Reina High would win a Southern Section championship.

The promise became reality as La Reina defeated Marymount, 16-14, 15-12, 11-15, 9-15, 15-4, to win the Division IV-AA championship on Friday night at Cypress College.

Ryan, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker who has committed to Santa Clara, was nearly flawless, setting career highs with 30 kills and 27 digs.

The Regents won their first Southern Section volleyball title.

“We weren’t going to let that get away from us,� Ryan said.

It was definitely close.

No. 3-seeded La Reina (26-0) came away with tight victories in the first two games and was a few points away from a sweep after taking a 9-2 lead in the third game.

But top-seeded Marymount (24-4) embarked on a 13-2 run to end the game and made it an entirely new match by winning the fourth game.

La Reina bolted to a 7-2 lead in the fifth game on the strength of two kills and a block by Ryan.

At that point, Marymount setter Haley Jorgensborg, among the top juniors in Southern California, left the game because of leg cramps.

Jorgensborg, who battled flu-like symptoms throughout the week, did not return.

“We had a great comeback,� Marymount Coach Cari Klein said. “We needed Haley, though.�

La Reina scored eight of the next 10 points to win the match and the title.

“I don’t know if I can put it into words,� La Reina Coach Don Hyatt said. “We proved we’re not just a team playing way out there in the Tri-Valley League. We can play with anybody.�

Cara Kuebert had 10 kills and Lacy Ertel added nine for La Reina, which might play Marymount again. Both teams qualified for the state Division IV tournament, which begins Tuesday.

Jorgensborg had 15 kills and Christina Hinds had 21 for Marymount, whose previous losses came to San Clemente, Long Beach Poly and Lakewood St. Joseph’s.

All are in championship matches today.