As the eldest sister of an athletic family, Bishop Diego senior Alina Urzua had thoughts about playing on a team with two younger sisters and winning a CIF championship.
That moment arrived on Saturday.
The Urzua sister trio of Alina, Siena and Eliana and the Bishop Diego girls volleyball team were on cloud nine as they put together a complete performance and swept top-seeded Capistrano Valley to capture the CIF-SS Division 7 championship before a capacity crowd at the Brick House gym.
The scores were 25-12, 25-18 and 25-20.
The championship ended a long drought for Bishop girls volleyball, which last won a CIF title in 1979, capping a three-year run of titles.
Several players from those years of dominance were in attendance, including sisters Patty Sebastian and Diane Sebastian-Pestolesi, Dodie Morel, Barb Stovesand and Jennifer Winnewisser.
From the beginning of the season, the Cardinals had their sights on winning a CIF championship.
“We wanted it, yeah,” said coach Dillan Bennett, who started coaching at the school four years ago. “We really wanted CIF, we wanted a league title. There’s a lot of things our school hasn’t done in awhile as far as volleyball goes. CIF was obviously one of them.
“We knew we were going to have a really good team this year, we had a great schedule and all the pieces fell into place for us. And here we are winning at home in the Brick House, with Diane Pestolesi, who has her game ball from 1977.
“It’s such a special place to play and win, especially after such a long time.”
For Alina Urzua, the title means she’ll get her name on the championship banner with Siena and Eliana.
“When we were younger, we were looking forward to playing at Bishop all together and hopefully getting three Urzua names on the wall,” she said as her eyes welled with tears. “And, to finally get it, it’s just amazing.”
Like they did in their 10 Frontier League matches, the Cardinals didn’t lose a set in their five-match run to the CIF title.
“This team is so amazing; it’s so awesome,” Alina Urzua said.
Her freshman sister couldn’t believe she won a CIF title in her first year of high school.
“It’s crazy,” Eliana Urzua said. “I was talking about this morning, and I couldn’t even comprehend that I was in it.”
And to do it with Siena and Alina? “It’s so special. It’s like, ‘Oh my, I can’t even explain how good it is.’”
The Cardinals were locked in from the start.
Alina Urzua got them going with her jump serve, reeling off 10 straight points to open up a 13-2 lead.
She said she had been in a slump with the jump serve, but found her groove in practice.
“I was like, ‘What the heck,’ she said. “But then to come out here and have an amazing serving run like that. I honestly surprised myself.”
Bennett preaches tough serving to his team every day in practice.
“All year we’ve been a strong serving team, and they rose to the occasion and served the best match tonight,” he said. “We were really concerned that their No. 14 (middle Sofia Morton) was going to be a problem for us, and she wasn’t because they couldn’t handle our serve. So that was a huge game-changer.”
The Cardinals served 12 aces, with Alina Urzua leading the team with four and Siena Urzua and Emma Coglizer each serving three.
Bishop’s defense also made it a tough night for the Eagles. The Urzua sisters and Coglizer were digging machines, and the Cardinals did a good job converting in transition.
“I think that was one of the best defenses we’ve ever had in any of our games,” Eliana Urzua said. “We were just in it, and we really wanted to win.”
Alina Urzua led four players in double-digit digs with 22; Cogliver had 16, Eliana Urzua 12 and Siena Urzua 11.
Eliana Urzua was a force at the net and in the back row, connecting for 20 kills and a double-double. Siena Urzua put away eight kills and Clara McDonald had six in the middle.
“Just absolute amazing credit to Bishop Diego,” Capistrano Valley Christian coach Kellie Bond said. “Their ball control was fantastic, and the way they picked up our swings was pretty consistent.
“They’re just a very well-coached team and a well-disciplined team. They were that way in serve receive and defense, and that makes all the difference.”
Capistrano Valley Christian got 11 kills each from Morton and outside hitter Kenna Henjum.
After Bishop dominated the first set behind their serving. Capistrano Valley Christian fought back and kept the second set close. It was 10-10 before an Eagles’ serving error and back-to-back aces by Siena Urzua gave the Cardinals a three-point advantage at 13-10.
Then it was Eliana Urzua’s turn to take charge. She sided out at 15-12 and then made a solo block for a four-point lead.
A big blast by Eliana Urzua set up a Clara McDonald tip for a point on the Eagles’ overdig for a 21-16 lead.
The Cardinals maintained the lead and won on an ace by Siena Urzua and an Eagles’ hitting error.
Eliana Urzua had six kills and a block in the third set and finished the match with a kill down the line.
Eliana Urzua puts away the final point to complete a Bishop Diego sweep of Capistrano Valley Christian for the CIF-SS Division 7 girls volleyball title. It was the program’s first title since 1979. pic.twitter.com/WOVNpzmMTf
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“Right from the beginning, we were like, ‘We are beating this team. Who cares if they’re the No. 1 seed?’” Alina Urzua said of the team’s tremendous focus. “We watched so much film and we worked hard to come to this match. And then to come out here and play our hardest.
“Everyone really showed up and played amazing: Amy, the setter; Eliana was amazing even though she wasn’t feeling too well; Siena was awesome; Emma, our libero, played insane. Her ups were so awesome. And Clara and Kylie (Zimmerman) killed it in the middle with blocks and kills.”
After more than 40 years without a title at Bishop, the freshman Eliana Urzua said the team felt it could win CIF this year.
“I honestly think from the first day we started our season,” she said. “We had pre-league and then we started league, and we knew we could go all the way.”
And get their names on a banner to put on the gym wall.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.