SANTA ANA – The South Pasadena girls volleyball not only won its first CIF State girls volleyball title on Saturday afternoon at Santiago Canyon College, it became just the second San Gabriel Valley team in history to accomplish the feat.
South Pasadena bench cheers during final game. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena celebrates in the final game before defeating Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena celebrates after they defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena head coach Ivy Chew celebrates with her players. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena celebrates before scoring the match winning point in defeating Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena celebrates after they defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Hilmar Emma Gomes #8 spikes the ball past South Pasadena Bella Ventura #13 South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Hilmars’ Gianna Silveira (left) Sophie Stivers and Alexandra Bettencourt Lemos watch as South Pasadena celebrates after defeating them for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena huddles up before playing the game winning point. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena celebrates after they defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Hilmars’ Teygan Horstmeier #18 bumps the ball back to South Pasadena. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena Senya Dorny #8 spikes the ball as Hilmar Reese Ahlem #11 and Emily Barroso #16 defend. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Hilmar celebrates a point in the first game. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Hilmar celebrates after winning the opening game of the match. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Hilmar Alyssa Colston #12 spikes the ball against South Pasadena Isabelle Mullican #15. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Hilmar Stella Pires #13 and Hilmar Lia Salvador #23 return a ball while playing South Pasadena. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena South Pasadena Isabelle Mullican #15 goes up with Kayla Boozer #21 to block a shot from Hilmar Alyssa Colston #12. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena Bella Ventura #13 spikes the ball past Hilmar Emily Barroso #16. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
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South Pasadena bench cheers during final game. South Pasadena defeated Hilmar for the CIF State Division IV girls volleyball Championship on Nov. 23, 2024 in Orange CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
South Pasadena rallied from two sets down to pull out an improbable five set victory over Hilmar of San Joaquin Valley in the CIF State Division IV championship, winning 24-26, 24-26, 25-14, 25-16 and 15-8 in the decisive set to start the celebration.
San Gabriel was the only other SGV school to win a girls state volleyball title, beating Harbor of Santa Cruz in 1987.
It was the Tigers’ third straight five-set match in the state playoffs, and second time they lost the first two sets and came back to win, beating Crossroads in the regional semifinals in five sets.
It’s been a surreal postseason for the Tigers, who lost in the CIF-SS Division 6 semifinals, but received a bid to the state playoffs and wound up winning two trophies. The Tigers also beat Walnut for the Southern California regional title.
South Pasadena, which finished third in the Rio Hondo League, ends it season with an 18-16 record.
“Honestly, I feel really accomplished with the things that we try to build in our program, but it’s exciting to win state,” South Pasadena coach Ivy Chew said. “We started off the season a little rough, but we were able to find our groove in Durango. That’s where we turned the season around. This team is what family is all about.”
Chew led her team to the state finals in 2019 and lost to Lowell of San Francisco.
“And now I get a second chance to write that story five years later,” Chew added. “And now to represent the San Gabriel Valley and experience that is a big thing for the girls.”
The championship match on Saturday started out with two comeback sets by Hilmar to take a 2-0 lead.
The Tigers led by four points, 24-20, in the first set and lost. They also led by four points int he second set.
Then the comeback began, as the Tigers completely turned the match around and won the third set going away, 25-14.
The Tigers again took a commanding 22-14 lead late in the fourth set and won by nine points, 25-16 to tie the match at 2-2.
The fifth and final set was all South Pasadena, as they took an early 7-4 lead on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Evan Taylor.
The Tigers went on an 8-4 run to end the match and become champions.
With the final winning point was senior opposite Kayla Boozer with a big block to end it and the celebration began.
“It was all the plays leading up to that with all the momentum and that last play I just jumped up and next thing I know the ball was hitting the floor and I look up and we scored the last point,” said Boozer, who played only one year of volleyball for the Tigers. “I was really happy and it’ll be really cool to look back on it.”
Leading the way for the Tigers were for players in double figures for kills – Senya Dorny (16), Evan Taylor (14), Ava Conti (14) and Bella Ventura (12). Ventura and Conti led with 35 and 28 digs, respectively and Taylor led with 30 assists.
Leading the way for Wilmar was junior outside Alyssa Colston with 16 kills and Stella Pires had 32 assists. Emma Gomes and Sophie Stivers had 27 digs each.
