NORTHRIDGE — The third time was apparently the charm for the Taft girls volleyball team.
After losing the last two years in the L.A. City Section Open Division final, the Toreadors finally made it over the hump Saturday. They won an epic five-set match against Venice, 22-25, 25-17, 25-16, 17-25, 17-15, to capture the Open title at Cal State Northridge.
The Toreadors are City champs for the first time since 2014.
Players and coaches for the Taft girls volleyball team pose for a group photo after receiving the championship plaque for winning the Open Division of the City Section playoffs Saturday, Nov. 9. (Photo by Ryan Menzie)
“This is the best I’ve ever felt,” said Toreadors head coach Arman Mercado. “We’ve had a few championships but this is as good as it gets. This is for every single alumni who has not won a championship, not just at Taft, but for everyone who works hard in the City Section. State games are just a bonus. We are going to enjoy that but this moment is forever.”
Coming into the finals, the Toreadors had not dropped a set in the postseason, having swept their first two matches.
The Gondoliers sent the Toreadors a message by winning the first set Saturday.
The Toreadors quickly answered back by winning the next two sets. The emphatic wins seemingly put Taft on course to finish off the Gondoliers but they were not ready to back down.
The Toreadors did all they could offensively. Aleiah Carr, with a team-high 19 kills, was the offensive anchor for the Toreadors.
Eva Velarde had nine kills and Colette Ejang and Claudia Aber each finished with eight kills.
In the decisive fifth set, Carr logged four kills.
“I feel overwhelmed,” said Carr. “I kept saying to myself, ‘Lord, don’t let me get this runner-up medal again.’ I was supporting the underclassmen who were shaking, but we weren’t going to leave without getting a win. We’ve been here three times and it took this team to push us over the top. I can’t tell you how much this team means to me.”
The momentum had shifted in favor of the Gondoliers heading into the fifth set.
The Gondoliers held on a 12-9 lead late in the set and Taft was clearly in danger of seeing the title slip away.
However, the resiliency of a team that was in the finals for the third year in a row showed up at that critical moment and Taft rallied to tie the set at 14 apiece.
Both teams had their shot to win the match, but it was the Toreadors who outscored the Gondoliers 3-1 for the final points of the match.
One of the players who led the way for the Toreadors was Francine Baltazar-Shine, who had 36 assists.
After all of the ups and downs of the season, and after two years of disappointment in the finals, Baltazar-Shine was thrilled to finally earn her ring.
“All our hard work and teamwork, everyone was bought in and this was the result,” said Baltazar-Shine. “At the end of the day, our team trusts each other. I’m never going to forget this moment, this season, my whole four years, it’s always going to be in my mind and heart.”
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