Girls’ volleyball: Rim of the World wins 3AA title

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After falling short in the finals the previous two years, Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World swept Los Angeles Windward, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20, to claim the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA championship Saturday morning at Santiago Canyon College.

It was the eighth section title and first since 2005 for the top-seeded Fighting Scots (28-8), who took the lead for good in the third set, 16-15, on a kill by Oksana Ortega. Senior outside hitter Raena Brocuk led Rim of the World with 13 kills and eight digs, junior middle blocker Alyssa Ybanez added nine kills and Ortega and Haley Foen each had six.

‘It means so much more going through what we did the last two seasons--winning feels so much better,’ said Rim of the World’s senior setter Hailey Jones, who had 34 assists, five kills and nine digs. ‘This was my last chance to add to this school’s legacy. Seeing all the banners hanging in our gym was motivation. We wanted one to call our own.’

Sophomore middle blocker Christina Cornelius had 13 kills and five digs and Asha Walker had three kills and 11 digs for the second-seeded Wildcats (16-5), who had not dropped a set in their three previous playoff matches.

At Cypress College, second-seeded Hemet (23-5) came from behind to upset top-seeded Saddleback Valley Christian (28-5) in five sets to capture the Division 4AA title. It was the third straight section crown for the Bulldogs, who won back-to-back 4A titles in 2010-11.

-- Steve Galluzzo