Ontario Christian girls volleyball team beats Arrowhead Christian to clinch Ambassador League title – Press Enterprise

REDLANDS — Ontario Christian girls volleyball coach Paige Liebhart said there is a perfect word that sums up the past three weeks.

“Chaos,” she said followed by a laugh. “But despite all of the ups and downs we’ve had this season, we’re having a blast right now.”

Four days after outside hitter Dakota Zieman was lost for the season with a gruesome injury, the Knights squared off against their new Ambassador League rival, Arrowhead Christian Academy. Things looked a little bleak after a less-than-memorable performance in the opening frame, but Ontario Christian rallied for a 10-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-16 victory that clinched the program’s fifth consecutive league championship.

It was the second time this season the Knights (21-12 overall, 7-0 in league) have beaten the odds when playing Arrowhead Christian. In the first meeting, they were one point away from being swept but rallied to win in five sets despite another top player quitting the team during the middle of the match.

“All of those things have brought us closer as a team,” Liebhart said. “The trust is there among the girls, and that allows us to keep on resetting ourselves and still be competitive. I have to give so much credit to these girls. It’s hard to maintain focus after some things we’ve been through.”

Zieman, the team’s kill leader, dislocated her right ankle over the weekend while the Knights played in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. Zieman was the team’s biggest cheerleader Wednesday, offering words of support from the start of the warm-up session until the final point of the match.

But Zieman’s absence was evident during the first set, as Ontario Christian managed only three kills against nine attacking errors. The score was tied at 7, but Arrowhead Christian (17-6, 4-2) put together a 15-3 run to take control of the game. The Eagles had no such issues on offense, racking up 12 kills and only two errors. Freshman Jordyn Wilson led the way with four kills.

Ontario Christian raced out to a 7-3 lead in the second set, with the Knights needing only three swings to match their kill total from the first game. Ontario Christian also registered five blocks in that frame, three of those combination stuffs by Madyson Michalak and Sarah Browne. Sabri Johnson had four kills to lead the offense. Amelia Don, stepping into Zieman’s spot on the outside, added three more kills.

Sophie Allison and Wilson combined for nine kills in the third set, and Arrowhead Christian held a seemingly-comfortable 19-12 lead. But Ontario Christian rattled off nine consecutive points to take the lead, two of them coming on aces by setter Adelene Singgih. The score was knotted at 22, but Johnson served up an another ace, and then Don delivered kills for the final two points of the set.

“I just kept telling them to stay patient and keep fighting,” Liebhart said. “If we can do that, hopefully things would go our way. And they did.”

The score was tied at 9 in the fourth game, but Ontario Christian created distance with a 9-1 run. Don and Browne each had two kills in that decisive stretch. Crystal Briggs had the winning kill that extended the program’s league winning streak to 58.

Johnson led the Knights with 14 kills Wednesday night, and Michalak finished with a solo block and four blocks assists. However, it was Don, the Knights’ senior captain, that walked away with the team’s “Golden Ball” award after recording 10 kills.

“I have primarily been an outside hitter, so it’s fun to get back to my roots,” said Don, who has been one of the team’s opposite hitters for the majority of the season. “And as a senior, this is a great feeling to win the league championship all four years.”

Wilson led Arrowhead Christian with 14 kills, equaling Johnson for the match high, while Allison added 12 kills for the Eagles.