NORWALK – Champion players are at their best in championship-deciding moments.
That was Corona del Mar senior Sofia Dajnowiec on Saturday.
Dajnowiec had 10 kills in the fifth set and finished the day with 36 kills to lead the Sea Kings to a victory over Newbury Park, 24-26, 25-20, 25-15, 22-25, 15-13, in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 final at Cerritos College.
It is Corona del Mar’s eighth CIF-SS girls volleyball championship and first since 2004.
Dajnowiec, a 5-11 outside hitter, scored the fifth set’s first point with a deft left-handed push (she is right-handed). She also had the Sea Kings’ second point in the set with a kill.
Newbury Park got hot and took a 10-7 lead and later had an 11-9 advantage, which worried Dajnowiec.
“I was really scared, I can’t lie,” Dajnowiec said. “But I think having those girls around me, picking me up and helping out, just knowing I had those teammates and that we were going to keep fighting, helped me out.”
Corona del Mar came back. Dajnowiec’s kill gave the Sea Kings a 12-11 lead. She later nailed a cross-court spike that traveled almost parallel to the net. Another Dajnowiec kill gave Corona del Mar a 14-12 lead. She ended the match with the point that secured the Division 3 title.
“I tell myself before these games ‘this is my life, this is my game,’” Dajnowiec said. “But I’m also playing for my teammates. I knew we had to score and I was like ‘OK, just get me the ball and I know we can do this.’”
Corona del Mar (26-9) and Newbury Park (32-10) each qualified for the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs that begin Tuesday. The regional brackets will be released Sunday.
Sea Kings senior outside hitter Savannah Dennis added 14 kills. Junior setter Isabella Spinella contributed 44 assists and seven service aces.
Newbury Park outside hitter Charley Krupp, 6-2 senior, had 18 kills. Emmery Reynolds added 10 kills for the Panthers.
Corona del Mar coach Max Gamboa said he expected Dajnowiec to play the way she did in the final.
“She’s done that a few times this year,” he said. “That’s what we asked her to do at the beginning of the year because we knew she could. When she’s leading the way that brings all the other girls up.”
Gamboa quickly added: “Everybody played such a vital role. That’s how you win these things.”
Corona del Mar tied Huntington Beach for third place in the seven-team Sunset League.
The Sea Kings, seeded third in Division 3, opened the playoffs with a sweep of Claremont followed by victories over Flintridge Prep, La Salle and Crescenta Valley.
Gamboa said Dajnowiec’s contributions to the team go well beyond the court.
“She’s one of the kindest people you’d ever meet,” he said. “Which is not something you see a lot in a star player. She takes care of the younger girls, she’s always having great conversations with the frosh-soph and JV girls.”
Gamboa offered advice to the women’s college volleyball world …
“Anybody who wants to be a better team,” he said, “should give her a call.”