BY ALLAN STEELE
NORWALK — The streak is over. Hemet’s run for a fourth straight CIF-SS divisional volleyball title came to an end Saturday night as San Juan Capistrano Saddleback Valley Christian avenged last year’s loss in the finals and did so emphatically. The Warriors won 3-1, rallying after Hemet comfortably won the first set, then dominated to close out the match 19-25, 26-24, 25-9, 25-9 in the CIF-SS Division 4AA final. Hemet (22-2) seemed to have the match in control early, holding a 1-0 lead and a 19-14 advantage in the second set. But Saddleback Valley Christian worked its way back into the set and held off set point before finishing with a 3-0 run to knot the match at 1-1. That proved to be the turning point as the Warriors steamrolled their way to the win over the next two sets. “We just couldn’t put the ball away,” Hemet coach Janie Washburn said, noting the team also struggled with serving. “They adapted to us very well and they were able to block us … overall we got a little nervous and couldn’t pass and they got momentum on their side and they kept it.” The momentum swing was almost ruthless. The Warriors (30-4) couldn’t miss on their attacks and it seemed like every ball the Bulldogs hit was popped right back up and turned into an offensive advantage by Saddleback Valley Christian. “It was a mixture of a lineup change and the girls just settling in,” Warriors coach Carmen Stratton said of the momentum swing. “It was a big game, and the girls were nervous.” Typically, it’s Hemet that makes other teams nervous. The three-time champion had played with a target on its back since winning the first championship and had become accustomed to taking an opponent’s best shot. Last year the Bulldogs needed to rally over the final two sets to secure the title, but this time the Warriors were nearly perfect and Hemet was never able to stem the tide. Stratton said the team watched video from last year’s championship loss and felt the agony of coming up short. “You don’t want to experience that again,” she said. Hemet was down just 5-4 after a Baylee Christian kill in the fourth set, but that was as close as the Bulldogs would get to forging a comeback. The Warriors went on a 10-2 run and the match was all but over. “When our team gets going, and sometimes we’re slow, but when it gets going, we’re pretty hard to beat,” Stratton said. Hemet players were in tears after accepting their runner-up trophy. Washburn said the season shouldn’t be judged on one match. “It’s hard to lose, but to make it this far four years in a row is quite an accomplishment and I’m very proud of the girls.” Christian led Hemet with 16 kills and Mallory Marcus totaled nine. Taylor VanZee and Tristan Self each had 23 digs and Self added 33 assists. Follow Allan Steele on Twitter at @asteele12000