By Jim Alexander
CYPRESS Hemet High School’s girls volleyball legacy continues. And it may not be ending any time soon. New coach? No problem. Move up a division? No problem. Put undue responsibility on the shoulders of a freshman? No problem. Stare down the prospect of elimination, of the end of the championship dream, and overcome it with equal parts will and skill? Aw, you know where we’re going with this. The Bulldogs completed their third consecutive CIF Southern Section title run Saturday morning, holding off Saddleback Valley Christian in the fourth set and again in the fifth for a 25-20, 15-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-10 decision that added a Division4AA title to two 4A crowns and made them the fourth area team in recent memory to at least three-peat. Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World, which swept Los Angeles Windward on Saturday at Rancho Santiago College for the eighth CIF title in its school’s history, won five in a row from 1981 to ’85. Hemet Baptist Christian won four in a row from 1998 to 2001. Redlands East Valley won three from 2007 to ’09. And, for those already scheming for 2013 and thinking about those seven seniors the Bulldogs lose, let it be noted that Hemet’s JV and freshman teams won their league titles this year. Let it also be noted that Bailee Huizenga, a 5-foot-11 freshman opposite hitter, had 11 kills, presenting a formidable front with junior Baylee Christian (17 kills) and senior Briana Williams (13). She did not play young, in other words. “She’s played club for a while, and she had older sisters that played volleyball so her family knew about the system,” coach Janie Washburn said. “They knew about getting her in club early and getting her ready to play. “We saw her at tryouts and we said, ‘OK, there she is,’ especially with her being a lefty. It’s so helpful on the right side there.” She’s not a star yet. Huizenga noted that she’s been assigned such menial tasks as taking down the net, carrying the ball bag, etc., as part of her apprenticeship. Aside from that, she’s just one of the girls.