SAN ANSELMO — Ripon Christian has one last long road trip to make before calling it a season.
“I don’t mind it,” senior setter Megan Weststeyn said. “It’s team bonding.”
The 13th-seeded Knights are going back to Orange County after wrapping up the California Interscholastic Federation Division III Northern Regional Division III title on Tuesday with a dominant 25-15, 25-16, 25-19 win at No. 3 Archie Williams in a showdown of reigning state champions.
The host Peregrine Falcons (18-11) came up short in their defense of the D-III crown, while Ripon Christian (36-5) continues its remarkable run against higher-caliber competition after seizing the D-IV championship last year.
Similar to last year, when they were seeded ninth, the Knights have taken the long road to the state final. They marched through higher-seeded schools in Oakland (No. 4 Head-Royce), Carmel (No. 5) and San Francisco (No. 8 Lowell) before making their way to Marin County.
“To get to this point, I’m not going to lie, I’m very shocked,” RC middle Sydney Hoffman said “I’m so proud of my team. We’ve done so well, especially under pressure. Coming to Division III, we’re still doing our thing and I’m just absolutely loving it.”
Hoffman aided the Knights’ latest conquest with eight kills and two blocks, while Weststeyn accumulated 32 assists and three blocks.
Jordan Vander Veen led all players with 14 kills to go with 11 digs and 10 service points. Leah Van Wyngarden chipped in with nine kills, 11 digs and three aces. Libero Allison Brown picked up 12 digs, and Dayna Koolhaas served 11 points.
Archie Williams countered with 6-2 middle Katie Griffiths (eight kills, two blocks), sophomore Felicity Brown (four kills, four blocks), setter Reese Fraser (six kills) and outside hitter Lindsey Jones (seven kills).
Ripon Christian punctuated every set with a kill starting with Vander Veen’s in the first. Van Wyngarden put away the final points in the second and third.
“It was a really fun match,” Van Wyngarden said. “I think these last few games we really started to play as a team and not just like a bunch of individuals. We’re playing as a family, not just as a team.”
As well as these Knights have played the past two seasons, they may have somehow reached another level with their play. Since the postseason began with the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV tournament three weeks ago, they’ve dropped just one out of 25 sets in eight matches.
“I feel like I shouldn’t be surprised anymore,” RC coach Kayla Kootstra said. “We’ve beaten some really good teams in this postseason, and at times made it look almost easy. Honestly, I feel like it’s a little bit surreal watching them play. I think the group has come together so well. We’re playing our best volleyball at the right time.”
Even sophomore Brynn Bohn is stepping up big moments. The 6-foot-2 sophomore middle contributed three kills and a block and they were all in big moments.
Playing with urgency, Archie Williams jumped out to a 5-2 lead in game 3 — tied for the Falcons’ largest advantage of the match — before RC answered with a 9-3 run. Bohn played a part in igniting the comeback.
She ended one rally with a kill immediately after deflecting an Archie Williams spike, then gave Ripon Christian the 6-5 lead with a quick-set kill set up by a dig from Vander Veen.
Vander Veen had another clutch dig shortly after, and Van Wyngarden secured the point by stuffing Jones. That pushed the Knights ahead 9-8, and they led the rest of the way.
“She’s actually been stepping up for the entire NorCal run, so far,” Kootstra said of Bohn. “I’ve been really proud of the smart play and the poise that she has shown, which isn’t always the case when you have a sophomore who is asked to do a lot in a setting that she’s never been in before. She continues to learn and is a student of the game. She asks the right questions, and it’s showing in her level of play right now.”
Ripon Christian also had game-changing scoring spurts in each of the first two sets. In the opener, the Knights netted eight unanswered points for an 18-8 lead. Back-to-back kills from Bohn and Vander Veen made it 24-13.
In the second set, an early 10-3 run gave RC a comfortable lead that widened to 24-12 — the largest margin of the match. Archie Williams scored four straight to make it more respectable before Van Wyngarden put it away.
“They have a never-give-up mentality,” Kootstra said. “They’re not going to let mistakes get them down; they’re just going to play good, consistent volleyball. It allows us to take advantage when we’re doing things really well and just push away from teams. We’ve just done that really well all offseason.”
