PREP ROUNDUP : Mater Dei Pushes St. Joseph to Limit, Loses in Five Games

Mater Dei extended St. Joseph, the No. 1-ranked girls’ volleyball team in the state, to five games Thursday night, but the Jesters managed to pull out a 15-7, 12-15, 15-4, 9-15, 15-8, Angelus League victory at St. John Bosco High School.

Although St. Joseph (12-0, 5-0 in league) has no player taller than 5 feet 9, the Jesters frustrated Mater Dei’s attack with its great back-row defense.

Jaimie Torromeo had 31 kills and 5-foot-6 Erin Balderama had 27 to pace St. Joseph’s offense.

Amy Moeller and setter Patti Boland jump-started Mater Dei’s offense in the second game. Moeller had 11 of her team-high 23 kills, and Boland had 17 of her 44 assists in the Monarchs’ 15-12 game-two victory.

St. Joseph won the third game, but Mater Dei (12-4, 3-2), the sixth-ranked team in the state, got a spark from Ellie Acalin’s five kills in the fourth game, forcing a fifth game.

In Game 5, St. Joseph reeled off eight consecutive points to take a 10-3 lead, and the Monarchs never threatened.

“We’ve proved that the Angelus League is one of the toughest in CIF,” Mater Dei Coach Laura Kennedy said. “I think the team is looking forward to CIF (playoffs) now, and hoping to meet St. Joseph there.”