DIVISION I STATE VOLLEYBALL : El Toro Wins Title Match in 5 Games

FULLERTON — The El Toro girls’ volleyball team gave Charger Coach Mike Jagd the going-away present he wanted--a State Division I championship.

El Toro won its first title Saturday night, outlasting Lakewood St. Joseph, 16-14, 15-13, 11-15, 12-15, 17-15 in the championship match at Cal State Fullerton.

Jagd, who said he will resign as coach at the end of the season to pursue a doctorate degree in Colorado, watched as Wendy Balut and Amanda Burrows had blocks for El Toro’s final two points. The Chargers rallied from a 7-4 deficit, and the score was tied three times down the stretch in the 2-hour, 40-minute match.

“It has been like this during the entire playoffs,” said Jagd, who leaves with a 305-82 record in 10 years coaching the Charger boys’ and girls’ teams. “It has been, 14-14, 14-14, 14-14, every game.”

The victory was the second by El Toro (22-4) over St. Joseph (20-2) this season. The Chargers defeated the Jesters in four games in the Southern Section 5-A semifinals.

St. Joseph outside hitter Jaimie Torromeo set a State record with 47 kills, surpassing the previous record of 36 set earlier in the day by La Habra’s Zrinka Kristich.

St. Joseph rallied from an 8-4 deficit and took a 13-11 lead in the first game. But El Toro came back behind Burrows’ blocking and by capitalizing three St. Joseph errors to score four consecutive points and take a one-game lead.

In the second game, El Toro blew a 10-4 lead before rallying to win. St. Joseph, led by Torromeo’s 14 kills, came back to take an 11-10 lead.

An ace by Balut, and kills by Jaime Smith and Amber Woodcock helped El Toro take a 14-12 lead. St. Joseph cut it to 14-13 on a Torromeo kill, but El Toro scored the final point on a St. Joseph net violation.

St. Joseph had leads of 8-3 and 12-9 on the way to winning the third game. El Toro cut it to 12-11, but St. Joseph scored four unanswered points to win.

El Toro could have clinched it in the fourth game, but the Chargers blew a 12-6 lead. St. Joseph scored nine unanswered points to force a fifth and deciding game.