Beckman defeats Woodbridge in four sets to clinch a share of PCL crown

Beckman players celebrate after defeating Woodbridge in four sets.

Beckman’s girls volleyball team clinched at least a share of its first Pacific Coast League title Tuesday night, defeating Woodbridge in four sets at Woodbridge.

Beckman (22-9, 8-0 in league) defeated second place Woodbridge (6-2) this season. Both teams have two matches left in the regular season.

Woodbridge took the first set 25-17, but Beckman came back to win 25-17, 25-17, 28-26.

“We’re in position, it’s not over yet and I don’t like to celebrate it yet,” said Beckman Coach Darin McBain. “We’ve got at least a share of it. We just talked about finishing out strong and do we want to tie for a league title and finish two or finish out in style and see if we can finish undefeated in league. So that’s the goal we set for ourselves in the next seven days.”

McBain, in his 11th season at Beckman, led the Patriots to a second place finish nine times behind Corona del Mar, which is now in the Sunset League.

“I really thought I would feel a little more satisfied but I’m more concerned about our level of play right now,” McBain said.

“I was not impressed with our level of play.at all today. We’ve gotten to another gear in recent weeks that we did not show tonight. It’s frustrating. That being said, it is a goal that we set before the season and it’s something we accomplished a share of. We’re proud of that, but that level of volleyball is not going to win in the playoffs and that’s what we’re going to gear for in the playoffs.

Jill Schneggenburger led Beckman with 31 kills. Haley Schroeder, despite suffering an finger injury in practice Monday, had 10 kills and Joceline Martinez had six kills.

Woodbridge showed some fight with an impressive effort in the first set and in the fourth set the Warriors moved out to a 14-10 lead before Beckman battled back.

Woodbridge regained the lead 24-22 before Beckman rallied again and won by two.

“It was hard fought like I think both sides expected it to be,” said Woodbridge Coach Alan Ho. “It’s fitting that it came down to the very end. We came one or two plays short from extending it to a fifth game, which would have been kind of poetic justice given it was was the first time somebody else was going to be able to win league other than CdM and I thought it would have been a pretty cool story line that it would come down to five.

“But unfortunately they made an extra play than we did tonight in that fourth game.”

Ho said he was pleased with the play of middle blockers Madison Lyon and Madelaine Leitman.

“We got them involved early in the game and were able to keep their blocking off balanced,” Ho said. “Those two middles did a real good job in the first game and in the third and fourth game we were able to get the ball back to them, so they were big in being able to keep them off balanced on defense.”