Cary's 29 kills not enough as Grossmont slips by Cabrillo in 5

Natalie Seol gets up high for the kill as Grossmont defeated Cabrillo Fridayin the state quarterfinals at Southwestern College, photo by Richard Quinton.
Natalie Seol gets up high for the kill as Grossmont defeated Cabrillo Fridayin the state quarterfinals at Southwestern College, photo by Richard Quinton.
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December 6, 2019

(CHULA VISTA)--All-American outside hitter Ellie Cary did everything she could to keep North #3 Cabrillo going at the CCCAA State Women's Volleyball Championships but her 29 kills fell a little short of a more balanced attack by South #2 Grossmont as the Griffins outlasted the Seahawks in five sets, 25-18, 20-25, 25-27, 25-16, 15-12, Friday in a quarterfinals match.

Grossmont (27-3) advances to face North #1 Feather River in the state semifinals Saturday at 2 p.m. The Griffins had four players reach double digits in kills and a fifth player with eight kills thanks to a strong distribution and overall steady performance by setter Haley Morton, who dished out 50 assists with 11 digs and four kills herself on dump plays. 

Shaney Lipscomb led Grossmont with 15 kills and she added five aces. While Grossmont hit an efficient .294 overall, the team got many clutch points from Brooklyn Anderson (12 kills, .429) and Natalie Seol (10 kills, 17 attempts. .471). Naomi Talisa Leilua also was effective with 11 kills, four in the team's opening set win.

Cabrillo's season ends at 23-6 despite the big swing of Cary, who had just three errors in 59 attempts, hit .441 and added four aces, five digs and three blocks. Cary joined a list of just eight players in state tourney history to reach as many as 29 kills in a tourney match. Another key performer was Isabella Bush, who slammed 10 kills and made six blocks. 

Cabrillo took a 2-1 sets lead with Cary scoring an amazing 11 kills in the third set. Grossmont led 24-23, but Cary ripped off her team's next four points on powerful swings for the set 3 victory. 

Grossmont roared back to tie it in set 4, hitting a ridiculous .667 (12 kills in 17 attempts) in the 9-point triumph to force the fifth set. In the fifth, Grosssmont jumped ahead 4-0, but Cabrillo fought back to knot it at 6-6. Morton then went around the horn as she set kills for Lipscomb, Seol and Leilua for a 9-6 advantage. Bush pounded back-to-back kills that cut it to 13-11. But a kill by Anderson was followed by an attack mistake by Cabrillo, allowing Grossmont to celebrate a hard-earned win.

Cabrillo head coach Kelsee Montagna found the match bittersweet as she played on the Seahawks' 2013 state champion that defeated Grossmont in the title match. 

"We knew Grossmont had a fast offense, just like they had going back to when I played against them," Montagna said. "We just didn't serve as well as we needed (12 service errors), and we didn't do a good enough job to set more to our middles. That was the difference."

The Griffins are trying to win their first state title in 30 years (1989). Making its sixth appearance in seven years at the state tourney, Cabrillo finished the tourney tied for fifth place.