CERRITOS — After breezing through its first four playoff matches, the top-seeded Beckman girls volleyball team was finally put to the test in the CIF-SS Division 3 championship match against No. 2 seed Campbell Hall on Saturday at Cerritos College.
After coming out on top in a tightly contested first set and then easily winning the second set, the Patriots appeared on the verge of yet another sweep before the Vikings showed grit in winning the third set.
The Patriots regrouped and captured a close fourth set to win the Division 2 championship, 25-22, 25-15, 15-25, 25-19.
Beckman players from the bench rush out to the middle of the court after defeating Campbell Hall in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
The Beckman girls volleyball team holds the championship trophy after defeating Campbell Hall in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
CIF official Jim Perry, left, hands the championship trophy to Beckman head coach Darin McBain after the Patriots defeated Campbell Hall in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Campbell Hall players show their disappointment after losing to Beckman in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman setter Joy Lee concentrates on setting up a shot against Campbell Hall in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman players celebrate after defeating Campbell Hall in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman blockers Victoria Turner, left, and Olivia Ramirez, right, block a shot from Campbell Hall in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
The Beckman Patriot mascot rallys the fans in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final against Campbell Hall at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Campbell Hall middle blocker Maggie Lima tips the ball back to Beckman in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman players hold the championship trophy after defeating Campbell Hall in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Campbell Hall fans, from left, Ethan Prager, Oliver Phillips, and Spencer Gertz cheer after the Vikings make a point later in the match with Beckman in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Campbell Hall outside hitter Sierra Starkman threads the needle between two blockers from Beckman, Olivia Ramirez, left, and Sophia Saad in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Beckman opposite Sophia Saad fires a shot over the head of Campbell Hall defender in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Campbell Hall opposite Ella Del Pero, number 8, and middle blocker Katie Scuticchio, number 24, try to block a shot by Beckman outside hitter Nika Safavi in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Campbell Hall setter Althea Morris tries to keep the ball in play against Beckman in the CIF-SS Division 3 girls volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, November 4, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
The CIF-SS girls volleyball championship is the first for the Patriots (34-5).
“I coached in the finals before,” Beckman coach Darin McBain said. “But this one felt different. I had a group of girls that I knew I could trust in big situations and have come through all year. So, this one felt like we’re stepping on the floor with a real, real, real opportunity to win a CIF title.”
Beckman knew it might be a battle from the first set when the Vikings (31-5) took a 5-2 lead and didn’t give up the lead until Nika Safavi’s kill to the back row put the Patriots ahead 15-14.
But the Vikings took the lead back at 16-15 and the score was tied six times from that point before Safavi scored the final two points to win the set for the Patriots.
Campbell Hall’s Sierra Starkman took over the third set, scoring on six kills to help the Vikings take a 12-5 lead and then added two more kills down the stretch.
The Patriots had not lost a set in the previous 11 matches.
“In our league, we just we went 3-0 with everybody,” Safavi said. “So, this was kind of different because this team (Campbell Hall) was really good. They were digging every ball. They had good blockers. They had good hitters and it was just new for us. We were all kind of down, but then one of our teammates, Olivia Ramirez, said, ‘Guys, it’s normal to lose a set.’ We can’t win every set. We knew it was fine. So, the pressure got off of us a little bit, so we kind of pushed through after that.”
The fourth set also went back and forth with neither team able to go on any kind of a run.
Campbell Hall was ahead 14-11 when Camryn Hayek scored on three kills and a block to give the Patriots an 18-17 lead.
Victoria Turner and Safavi added kills to make the score 20-17.
Beckman then closed out the set and the match on a 5-2 run.
Hayek and Safavi led Beckman with 20 and 15 kills, respectively, and the Patriots had 13 blocks as a team.
Starkman had 13 kills to lead the Vikings.
“It feels amazing,” Beckman libero Stacy Reeves said. “This is like a surreal moment for us. Playing here was such an amazing opportunity. Playing with this group of girls is a really special experience.”
Both teams qualified for the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs, which begin Tuesday. The regional pairings come out Sunday.
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