For the fifth consecutive season, the West Valley Vikings are the northern California Queens of Chlorine. 2^nd-seeded WVC outscored top-seeded Sierra 5-4 in a tense final quarter to escape with a 10-8 championship game win at Las Positas College. The Vikings earned the No. 1 NorCal seed and will be joined by No. 2 Sierra, No. 3 San Joaquin Delta and No. 4 Merced as the north representatives at the 3C2A Women's State Championships at Long Beach Nov. 21-23.

The championship contest between the only two NorCal schools to win a state title was close throughout, with WVC (23-7) holding a 4-3 advantage at the break. Sierra's Makenna Perez and West Valley's Sofia Orlandi Lazzarini scored in the third to make it 5-4, WVC, heading into the final eight minutes. 

After Marte Skibba opened the fourth with a goal for a 6-4 Viking lead, the teams traded scores until Bailey Hollick buried a five-meter to tie it at 7-7 with 3:49 remaining. Skibba made it 8-7 at 2:14, but Heidi Green evened it up at 1:05. WVC's leading scorer Bella Raynes, who picked up two early ejections, re-entered and whipped in the game-winner for a 9-8 Viking lead with :45 left. Skibba scored her third goal of the period to ice it with eight seconds to go.

West Valley goalkeeper Kayla Tweed, much as she had done in the semifinal against San Joaquin Delta and Friday's opener with Modesto, was nearly impenetrable against the Wolverines (27-6), finishing with seven saves. Skibba ended the game with a team-high four goals, followed by two each from Orlandi Lazzarini and Mia Sickler-Lopez.

The Vikings earned a spot in the final with a 16-10 win over San Joaquin Delta in Saturday's semifinal. A 5-0 second quarter keyed the win for WVC, which led 8-3 at halftime and then outscored the Mustangs (25-12) 8-7 the rest of the way. 

Raynes led the way with five goals, followed by three each from Sickler-Lopez and Skibba. The Sofia's, Gaytan and Orlandi Lazzarini, added two apiece. Skibba nabbed five of WVC's 16 steals, while Anastasija Koreni grabbed four. Tweed was a brick wall between the pipes, stopping nine Mustang attempts, including a key five-meter denial in the second quarter.

The Vikings opened NorCals with a methodical 17-3 drubbing of Modesto (11-15). A 6-0 second quarter gave WVC an 11-1 lead at the break. A pair of goals from Orlandi Lazzarini and one each from Raynes and Sickler-Lopez extended the WVC advantage to 15-2 heading into the final stanza.

Raynes topped the scorebook with six goals, followed by three each from Orlandi Lazzarini and Skibba. Gaytan and Sickler-Lopez added two each. Sickler-Lopez and Skibba keyed a 20-steal defensive effort with four thefts apiece. Tweed turned away nine Pirate attempts.

The 3C2A Women's Water Polo State Championship is Nov. 21-23 at Long Beach City College. Visit the 3C2A website for complete tournament information:

https://3c2asports.org/sports/wwaterpolo/Championships