Kyla Pranajaya, Jailynn Robinson come up with clutch blocks against Mater Dei to lift Orange Lutheran girls water polo team to third consecutive Trinity League title

SANTA ANA – Even for a program that had won back-to-back Trinity League girls water polo titles and consecutive CIF-Southern Section Open Division championships, Orange Lutheran High showcased a significant amount of pride Tuesday night in its regular-season finale against top-ranked Mater Dei.

With the Monarchs winning their previous three matchups this season, including an overtime victory Saturday in the final of the Newport Invite tournament, Orange Lutheran made sure it wasn’t going to endure another setback to Mater Dei entering the postseason.

Post-match interviews

The Lancers played with urgency at the offensive end and composure on defense, especially during a chaotic sequence in the final five seconds, culminated by a clutch save from Kyla Pranajaya and a point-blank field block from fellow senior Jailynn Robinson to help Orange Lutheran preserve a 10-9 victory at the William Lyon Homes Aquatic Center.

Pranajaya had eight saves for the Lancers (21-3, 3-0), who captured their third league championship in a row and seventh in program history, denying Mater Dei (20-3, 2-1) its first Trinity title since 2022.

Orange Lutheran girls water polo team | Erik Boal photo

Allison Cohen, a junior, had a match-high four goals for Orange Lutheran, including back-to-back scores less than a minute apart in the fourth to break an 8-8 tie.

Cohen buried a 7-meter shot inside the far post with 2:05 remaining to give the Lancers a 10-8 lead.

Kirra Pantaleon, a junior who produced five goals against Orange Lutheran in a 14-12 overtime triumph Saturday for the Monarchs at Santa Ana Foothill High, converted a 5-meter penalty shot with 1:51 left Tuesday to pull Mater Dei within a goal.

Following a turnover by the Lancers on their last offensive series, Mater Dei regained possession with eight seconds left.

After a Monarchs’ timeout, Mater Dei replaced goalkeeper Sienna Sorensen, a USC commit, with an extra attacker and had two quality chances inside 5 meters in front of the cage, but Pranajaya – a San Diego State signee – knocked down the first shot and the UCLA-bound Robinson sacrificed her body to record the impressive field block just before time expired.

Estelle Karaba, a junior, and sophomore Eve Webb both scored twice for Orange Lutheran, which opened the fourth quarter with three unanswered goals to rally from an 8-7 deficit.

Webb also contributed a pair of assists, with USC commit Kate Sloman and Robinson each scoring for the Lancers, who capitalized on two opportunities with a 6-on-5 advantage, both in the third quarter.

Orange Lutheran also denied the Monarchs on all six of their 6-on-5 chances.

Paige Segesman, a freshman, along with sophomore Delaney Hook and Pantaleon all had two goals apiece for Mater Dei, with EJ Hourigan, Bella Jurgensen and Maggie Ryan also scoring for the Monarchs, who had a nine-match winning streak snapped since an 11-10 overtime loss Jan. 14 against Newport Harbor at the William Lyon Homes Aquatic Center.

Mater Dei had produced a 10-9 semifinal victory Jan. 4 against Orange Lutheran at the Bill Barnett Holiday Cup at Corona del Mar, followed by a 10-7 triumph Jan. 11 in the rematch to capture the first title in program history at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions.

The Monarchs became the only girls water polo program in the section to win the Bill Barnett Holiday Cup, Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions and Newport Invite in the same season, with the three victories against Orange Lutheran expected to earn Mater Dei the top seed over the Lancers when the Open Division playoff pairings are released Friday.

Sorensen recorded seven saves for the Monarchs, who conclude their regular-season schedule Wednesday at San Clemente.

Orange Lutheran, already the only girls water polo program with multiple Southern Section Open Division titles, is attempting to become the first team since Dos Pueblos from 2009-11 to win three consecutive championships in the top division, with the Chargers achieving the feat in Division 1.

A fifth showdown involving Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei has the potential to occur in the Feb. 22 final at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

The Lancers produced a 12-4 victory against Mater Dei in the Open Division championship match last season.