The top-seeded Ripon Christian girls volleyball team found itself on a roller-coaster ride Saturday night against visiting No. 5 Harbor in a CIF NorCal Division IV semifinal, winning the first set 25-22 before dropping the next two, 26-28, 24-26.
The Knights rebounded to win the fourth 25-18, setting up the winner-take-all fifth set. Through four ties and two lead changes, the Knights came away with a 15-13 win on Paige Van Hofwegen’s powerful match-ending kill.
Ripon Christian hosts No. 3 Immanuel of Reedley on Tuesday at 6 p.m in the regional championship. It will be the Knights’ third NorCal title-round appearance in four years. The winner takes on SoCal No. 2 seed Mammoth or No. 12 Capistrano Valley Christian in the state final next Saturday, Nov. 22 at Santiago Canyon College in Orange.
“They were a tough team, and they made adjustments, and they battled,” Knights coach Kayla Kootstra said. “They just came off a five-set match on Thursday, they had a five-set match in their (Central Coast Section final), and they know how to battle. I was so proud of our girls for continually staying in the game. We never let up, we never gave up, we never hung our heads.
“I actually feel that is huge growth for us, because I am not sure that the team that started this season wins that match, but we won it tonight. We are playing our best volleyball with the most heart at the right time.”
Alanna Blanco had her normal stellar outing as setter for Ripon Christian (24-11) with 48 assists, adding 18 digs, four aces and three blocks, including two blocks in an 8-2 Knights run to close out the first set for the come-from-behind win.
“We came out strong and confident,” Blanco said. “I knew that I had to press hard on the block against those girls, because they hit really hard.
“We did fall kind of short in the second and third sets, but they we didn’t let anything drop, because we knew the season would be over if we did.”
Haley Kootstra led the Knights with 13 kills along with three blocks.
“I just wanted to put my all out there, because I didn’t want it to be my last game,” Haley Kootstra said. “So, I was willing to do anything to make it work, and I just wanted to fight hard for my team.”
Ripon Christian libero Lauren Mouw was a force in the net and the back court with 11 kills and 20 digs.
