A successful regular season has concluded at Calvary Chapel Downey for the girls volleyball team this week and the post season is right around the corner.

For the first time in 14 years, the Grizzlies have captured an Express League Championship, and they did it with authority, winning seven of their final eight matches.

Calvary Chapel (12-12), coming off a winless league season in 2023 and 3-17 overall record, finished the regular season winning 10 of its last 12 matches.

The post-season brackets will be announced on the CIF website at 10 am this Saturday (Oct. 19).

“I don’t know, I can’t really believe it,” senior libero Brenda Gurrola said of the championship. “We look up and see the numbers and I didn’t go into this season thinking our number (championship banner year) is going to be there, but every single practice I just saw us, and I knew we were going to be up there. Like, 2024 is going to be up there hanging in our gym.

“I think our coach (Elyssa Quintero), she is someone who always keeps us really accountable and (humble) in every game, whether it’s a win or a loss, especially on this streak of winning, she’s made sure we just give all glory to God, which is so important.”

Gurrola leads the team with 214 digs and averages 4.5 per set this season.

Quintero, who is an alum and played varsity volleyball from 2004 to 2006 has been coaching volleyball for 10 years and has been the head coach the last three for the Grizzlies.

The last playoff action Calvary Chapel saw was in the 2019 season, when they played a wild card match and lost, 3-0 to New Roads of Santa Monica.

That was the last CIF appearance for the Grizzlies dating back to a three-year stretch from 2010 to 2013.

“The group of girls I have this year are really dedicated,” Quintero said. “They are basically the same with the addition of a few new girls. All of my starting six are from last year.

“They’ve had a year to just jell and get to know each other. I’m so excited for them to see that banner, since it’s been so long. It’s definitely something new for them and that excitement of just being a part of history for the school.”

Down the stretch for the Grizzlies, they won eight in a row before a final game loss in five sets to Newport Christian to spoil an undefeated league record.

In those eight wins, they swept seven of those games.

The scores of the final three matches were – 25-8, 25-15, 25-13 and 25-9, 25-11, 25-16 wins over Orange County Christian and a marathon five-set loss to Newport Christian – 16-25, 25-13, 25-11, 20-25, 9-15.

“We’re still league champions, but we just didn’t get that undefeated title as well,” added Quintero.

Quintero, in her last 10 years on the coaching staff, has seen it all, from a winless 2017 season to COVID to a first playoff game since the 2012 season to now, a league championship.

“As the third-year head coach of the girls volleyball program here at CCCS, I’ve been blessed to be able to lead these girls into the post season, something that has not been done since 2019,” Quintero said. “It’s an even greater joy to be able to have the girls go in as league champions, something that hasn’t been done here at our school since 2014. This 10-year journey has been one that I have had a chance to witness.”

She continued, “With the help of my assistant coaches, Julianna Muncherian and Jeremiah Mitte, we’ve been able to grow this program into one that is dedicated, committed and united.”

This season, the Grizzlies have been effective in the front row with a .286 kill percentage and averaged 7.8 kills per set, while the defense is strong as well with the team averaging 17.8 digs per set and a .773 dig percentage for the season.

Another strength of the team is a .172 ace percentage for the season and 3.8 aces per set.

Leading the team in attacking and serving stats is senior middle blocker Sydney Bass with 122 kills (.345 kill percentage) and .247 ace percentage for the season.

“Looking back on where we have come from and now league champs is so amazing,” said Bass, who has been on varsity for three years. “Win or lose, to be honest our whole team knows, we’re not doing it for ourselves, we’re doing it for the Lord. We all have a common goal, and I think we can go far.

“Looking back from where we’ve come from and now league champs, is so amazing.”

Leading the team in assists is junior setter Julianna Parra, who averages 5.2 per set.

“As the only setter on the team (the coaches) have really prioritized me and encouraged me and are always someone I can look to help me,” Parra said.

“I’m excited to see the team finally work all the kinks from earlier in the season (8-game losing streak) and now having something to prove. To be a part of history and being able to come back to see the banner in the gym I can say I was a part of that (league championship).”

Quintero reflected on her journey in the program for the Grizzlies.

“It hasn’t been an easy journey,” she said. “But it has been one that has shown that growth, even if it is slow, is important. One thing that has helped this group grow from a team that has not made the playoffs in years to a team that is now entering the playoffs is the true teamwork and unity that comes from the entire program, from JV through varsity. We also understand that we have been blessed with the ability to play volleyball and we take that gift from the Lord seriously. We just want to bless the Lord with our play and give Him glory.”