PREP VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP : Huntington Beach Battles Past Edison Again

It’s beginning to frazzle everyone’s nerves. Not a player, coach or fan is exempt from the pins-and-needles mindset a girls’ volleyball match between Huntington Beach and Edison demands.

When these teams met in their first Sunset League match Sept. 21, Huntington Beach lost the first two games but recovered and prevailed, 18-16, in the fifth.

The Chargers couldn’t shake the past Thursday night at Edison. After fighting off two Oiler match points in the fourth game and forcing the fifth, Edison succumbed, 15-13, in the final game, which ended when the Chargers were slapped with a net violation.

With the 9-15, 15-8, 15-10, 14-16, 15-13 victory, No. 10 Huntington Beach (8-4, 7-1) remained tied for first in the league with Fountain Valley (8-2, 7-1). Edison (7-3, 6-2) slipped to second.

“You think we could have won at least one of them,” said Edison Coach Dave Mohs, who was frustrated with the officiating. “There were bad calls both ways, but you hate to have it end that way.”

At 14-14 in the fourth, the Chargers were given a reprieve and a 15-14 lead when the Oilers touched the net. When Coach Rocky Ciarelli protested the call, he was red-carded and the game went to Edison.

Huntington Beach took leads of 6-0, 8-2 and 12-6 in the fifth, but errant Oiler passing and solid defense kept the Chargers in the match. Edison took a brief 13-12 lead, but a down-the-line kill by Melissa Wendt, an ace by Amanda Phelps, an errant Edison swing and the net violation ended it.

Wendt had a match-high 21 kills. Teammate Andrea Atkinson added 17 kills and Stacey Vanderwal contributed 15. For Edison, Nicole Mordhorst had 16 kills and Jennifer Porterfield had 14.