SO. SECTION DIVISION IV-AA: FLINTRIDGE HITS WALL IN PLAYOFFS MARYMOUNT 3, FS HEART 1.

Byline: Ramona Shelburne  Staff Writer

Sometimes a team just has your number.

In Flintridge-Sacred Heart High of La Canada's case, it's two teams.

Second-seeded Flintridge-Sacred Heart couldn't win the Mission League title this year, again, from the Harvard-Westlake of Studio City girls' volleyball team. Then, against top-seeded Marymount in the Southern Section Division IV-AA championship Friday at Cypress College, the Tologs again fell to a team they just can't overcome.

Counting the latest 15-11, 10-15, 15-5, 15-13 victory, Marymount of Los Angeles (29-4) has ousted the Tologs (20-5) from the playoffs in each of the last four years.

``I still really believe in my heart that if we play them again in state, we can beat them,'' said Flintridge-Sacred Heart outside hitter Jillian Davis, who finished with 10 kills and 14 digs. ``I'm so proud of the way we played. Everyone kept swinging the whole game, this team just has so much heart.''

Davis just might get what she wishes for.

If the Tologs win their opening match of the state tournament on Tuesday, they could play Marymount again next Saturday in the second round.

If that scenario were to occur, Flintridge-Sacred Heart has plenty of moments from Friday's match to draw confidence from.

Trailing the match 1-0 in games, Flintridge battled through five match points to take the second game 15-10. Brittney Esser set up the final point with a kill down the line off an assist from setter Kacey Knauf. Davis earned match point on an acrobatic backwards dive to dig the ball going out of play. The Tologs lobbed a free ball over, but Marymount's Stesha Selsky was long on the kill attempt.

That glory, though, was short-lived as Marymount jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the third game and easily put away Flintridge 15-5.

Adversity again brought out the best in the Tologs as they regained their composure in the fourth game and led 10-6 when Kathryn Gorsch won a ball at the net, one of her 11 blocks on the night. Again, however, the glory was short-lived as Marymount caught up at 11-11 and took the match when Davis was wide with a cross court kill on the second championship point.

Marymount's Virginia Levanas, who has signed to play at Duke in the fall, finished with 14 kills. Selsky led the Sailors with 15 kills and nine digs.

``Marymount is definitely beatable, we showed that in game two,'' Flintridge-Sacred Heart coach Nancy Tinkman said. ``We almost had them again in game four, and that's what's so disappointing. The girls really wanted this one badly.''

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Flintridge Sacred Heart girls' volleyball player Kathryn Gorsch tries to block the ball during the Tologs' four-game loss to Marymount on Friday in the Division IV-AA title game.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News