El Toro girls volleyball sweeps Tustin to make strong return to playoffs

LAKE FOREST >> El Toro’s players performed like playoff veterans, which they were not.

None of the Chargers on the girls volleyball team had played in a CIF Southern Section playoff match before Thursday. They made the most of the opportunity, sweeping Tustin 25-14, 25-11, 25-14 in a Division 3 first-round match at El Toro High.

El Toro (14-7) will be at home Saturday in the second round against West Ranch (19-5), which defeated Rosary in four sets Thursday.

The Chargers trailed only once against Tustin (17-14), the CIF-SS Division 5 champion in 2019, the previous year the Southern Section had girls volleyball playoffs.

Tustin was up 2-1 early in the third set. El Toro went on an 11-3 run from there.

El Toro did not qualify for the 2019 playoffs, and the COVID-19 epidemic canceled the 2020 girls volleyball playoffs. That made Thursday’s game the playoffs debut for the players on this season’s Chargers roster.

“I’m so excited to be in the playoffs,” said El Toro senior middle blocker and team captain Sydney Schuler. “It’s been really fun working up to get to this point.”

Schuler was among several El Toro players who contributed in some way to Thursday’s win. Junior outside hitter Maia Niemen smashed many fierce kills, junior outside hitter Koko Kirsch, who committed to Stanford, was strong at the net, too, and senior libero Morgan Kaiser, sophomore setter Brooklyn Kostoff and sophomore middle blocker Sophia Martin provided plenty of clutch digs and passes throughout the three sets.

“As you can see,” said El Toro coach Gus Culver, “it’s a team effort. The kids really enjoy each other. We do our best to get everyone involved.”

Tustin’s top player Thursday was Erin McInnes, a 6-foot-5 outside hitter. Her height makes her a force at the net, and her quick reactions and court sense showed she is a well-rounded player.

El Toro established its superiority early. The Chargers took an 11-1 lead in the first set and surged ahead early in the second set, too, building a quick 6-1 advantage as every El Toro player on the court contributed in some way.

“I think we work so together,” Schuler said. “Everyone’s doing their part.”