NORWALK — Aliso Niguel girls volleyball coach Richelle Whiting couldn’t have asked for much more from the Wolverines in their CIF-SS Division 2 championship match against Vista Murrieta on Saturday at Cerritos College.
Unfortunately for the Wolverines, they had to contend with one of the best hitters in the state.
The Broncos, behind a 33-kill performance from BYU commit Claire Little, defeated the Wolverines 25-19, 29-31, 25-18, 25-21 to win their second CIF-SS title in three years.
Aliso Niguel’s Madyson Smith, right, tries to hit the ball past Vista Murrieta’s Madison Pulsipher, left, in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel’s Macey Smith celebrates a point against Vista Murrieta in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel’s Nicole Feliciano sets the ball for a teammate against Vista Murrieta in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel’s Macey Smith digs out a serve by Vista Murrieta in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Miliani Villarreal digs out a hit by Aliso Niguel in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel players celebrate a point against Vista Murrieta in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel’s Riley Barr looks to set the ball for a teammate against Vista Murrieta in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel’s Nicole Feliciano spikes the ball against Vista Murrieta in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta players celebrate winning the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship against Aliso Niguel in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta coach Ed Taitano, center, holds the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship plaque up high for his players in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. Vista Murrieta defeated Aliso Niguel in the contest. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Madison Pulsipher, right, hugs Lilliana Montes (16) as they celebrate winning the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship against Aliso Niguel in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. Dailin Leong is at left. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Megan Herbert, left, reaches to block a shot by Aliso Niguel’s Nicole Feliciano, right, in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Aliso Niguel’s Gabrielle Hackett, right, spikes the ball against Vista Murrieta in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Miliani Villarreal moves to set the ball for a teammate during the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship against Aliso Niguel in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Katrina Catalan gets ready to serve the ball during the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship against Aliso Niguel in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Skylar Darr moves to dig out the ball against Aliso Niguel in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Lilliana Montes, center, celebrates with Katrina Catalan after winning the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship against Aliso Niguel in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Claire Little looks to spike the ball against Aliso Niguel in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Claire Little spikes the ball past Aliso Niguel players in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Claire Little spikes the ball against Aliso Niguel in the CIF-SS Division 2 volleyball championship in Norwalk on Saturday, November 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta (20-10) won the CIF SS Division 1 title in 2019.
“I thought that we played great,” Whiting said. “I thought they did everything they could. I thought our serving was excellent and I thought that would have gotten us a little more offensively by challenging them because we have a lot of options. We just couldn’t get around their block as well as I hoped.”
In the first set, the Wolverines (22-7) had success blocking and digging against the 6-foot-4 Little, holding her to five kills.
But after some minor adjustments, Little had 28 kills over the next three sets.
“My middles have been outplaying their physicality all year and you can only do that so much, until a player like that comes along,” Whiting said.
Madyson Smith and Nicole Feliciano finished with 18 and 17 kills, respectively, for the Wolverines.
“She was freaking ballistic,” Broncos coach Ed Taitano said of Feliciano. “She was cranking. She hits it hard. We also knew 29 (Smith) does a lot. We worked on all of that during the week.”
The second set was the most exciting and competitive set of the match.
Vista Murrieta led through most of the set, although never by more than three points. It went on a 5-1 run to take a 17-12 lead.
Four kills by Feliciano and one from Smith got the Wolverines to within a point at 19-18.
From there, the score was tied nine times, with the Wolverines defending against set point five times.
Rian Barr’s kill put Aliso Niguel ahead 30-29 and then Gabriella Hackett’s kill just inside the back line gave the Wolverines the 2-point victory.
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The Wolverines also defended against set point three times in the fourth set, until Little’s kill put away the set and the match.
“She is very good,” Feliciano said of Little. “We knew we had to have good defense against her.”
Aliso Niguel also had trouble getting the ball past the Broncos’ 6-foot-4 middle blocker Liliana Montes, who had six blocks.
“I think they all feel like they lost to a very good team and if you are going to get knocked out, that is how you want it to be,” Whiting said. “We played against some really great players and they were exposed to very high-level volleyball.”
