GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL: SAUGUS IN DRIVER'S SEAT SENIORS KEY AS CENTURIONS TAKE CHARGE IN FOOTHILL RACE SAUGUS 3, VALENCIA 1.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

VALENCIA - The senior members of the Saugus High girls' volleyball team were passing notes in class Wednesday, but they didn't get in trouble, because a teacher wrote them.

Coach Bobbie Estes sent motivational notes to her team leaders in the afternoon and the Centurions responded by taking control of the Foothill League with a 15-13, 15-11, 13-15, 15-5 victory over Valencia at Valencia High.

``I wanted to make sure they were in top form today, because we really needed our senior leaders in a match like this,'' said Estes, whose team improved to 8-1 overall, 5-1 in league, one game ahead of Valencia and Hart of Newhall.

Senior setter Julie Bolt (49 assists) distributed the ball well among three other seniors, Julia Bradley (15 kills), Dustin Joyce (10 kills) and Lisa Sonnenblick (nine kills).

``Those numbers show that Julie was really spreading it around,'' Estes said. ``She played a great game.''

At times, the match had all the pace of a sumo wrestler running on the beach, but that was likely because both teams had played matches less than 24 hours before.

Valencia (9-9) came out sluggish and trailed 11-5 in the first game before the Vikings rallied to tie at 13. Sonnenblick's spike on game point prevented a complete Valencia comeback.

But the Vikings' momentum carried over to the second game, when they took a 10-4 lead, but soon after that the Valencia hitters started to commit errors.

With Valencia leading 11-10, two of its players collided while trying to play a ball. On the next serve, Valencia's Ashley Dickinson set a good ball, but nobody played it.

Saugus quickly took the next three points and the game.

The Centurions almost duplicated that comeback in the third game, which they tied at 13 after trailing 13-6, but the Vikings won the game on a spike by Ashley Carter and when, on match point, they wisely chose not to play a ball hit wide by Joyce.

Saugus left no doubt in the fourth game, as the Centurions scored six of the first seven points and closed out the match with five consecutive points.

Now, after last Wednesday's loss to Hart, the Centurions are back in control of their league title destiny. With four more Saugus victories, the league will have its third champion in three years, following Valencia (1999) and Hart (2000).

``That's what we were looking for,'' Estes said. ``We're calling that Hart loss just a stumble in the road and now we're back on track.''

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Photo:

Saugus' Lisa Sonnenblick (32) and Rachel Gillis stretch to block a shot by Valencia's Janelle Watterson.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer