That championship feeling!
Between Thursday and Sunday of last week, a grand total of 56 champions were crowned across 10 sections and many divisions within each section. These are watershed moments for the players on title teams and, in many cases, watershed moments for the teams themselves. They all deserve our congratulations and our respect for fulfilling the goal that was formulated over the summer and for the hard work that accompanied them on their journey.
It is not possible to recap all 56 championship matches in this Notebook. Below are some highlights.
Los Angeles Section
Taft won its first City Section title since 2014 by outlasting Venice, 17-15 in the fifth set. The Toreadors had lost in the Open finals the previous two seasons but prevailed as Aleiah Carr had four of her team-high 19 kills in the final set. Francine Baltazar-Shine added 36 assists for the victors.
Central Section
As described in last week’s Notebook, Clovis North won its first Central Section title, sweeping perennial power Clovis West in Division I a week ago Thursday. The two teams had split the season series, 1-1, but Clovis North used strong hitting from Ava Rogers and Kennedy Lingenfelter to take the first two sets, then rallied from behind in Game 3 to sweep. The Broncos clinched the title on a block from middle Chelsea Haydock.
The championship was the first as coach for Lauren Winslow, who is in her second year at North. Winslow won the Section as a player for Clovis West.
North Coast Section
Branson won the first Open Division championship in NCS history in an impressive sweep of Marin Catholic. Abby King registered 10 blocks in the win for the Bulls, who have won 14 section titles over the past 15 seasons. Celia Tolmie had 31 assists in the victory. Elena Fisher and Blake Cussen led the offense with 10 kills apiece.
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Tamalpais downed Campolindo for the Div. I title a year after winning Div. III. Natalia Clifford led the way for the RedTailed Hawks, who extended their home unbeaten streak to 22 matches. Natalie Stanford added 14 kills and five digs.
Southern Section
Mater Dei won Division 1 for the second straight year, downing Sierra Canyon in straight sets. The Monarchs have not lost while playing in a championship match during head coach Dan O’Dell’s 11 seasons at the school.
Both Layli Ostovar and Westley Matavao had double-doubles for the victors. Kayla Ostovar added 18 digs.
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Murrieta Valley won its first section title, stopping Palos Verdes in five sets in Div. 2. The Nighthawks got 32 kills from Miley Thunstrom, including the clincher, to offset a 42-kill effort from PV’s Kaci Demaria. Melanie Hewlett added 59 digs and Ryleigh Short had 19 digs for the victors.
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Long Beach Poly won its first title since 2010, outlasting Bishop Diego over five sets in Div. 3. The Jackrabbits trailed two sets to one but won the final two behind Aleeya Salima and Kristin Dear. Key service runs from Sydney Mercado and crucial blocks from Layla Moore were also instrumental to the win. Eliana Urzua and Nicole Schuetz combined for 36 kills and nine aces in the loss for Bishop Diego.
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Campbell Hall, the 2024 CIF state champions in Div. II, swept Newbury Park to capture the Div. 4 title, its first, after losing in the section championship final the past two seasons. The Vikings won despite losing senior Tyler Parouse to a broken hand two practices before the championship match. Freshman outside Maya Harris has been a key performer for Kat Thyer’s team all season long.
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Laguna Beach was 6-25 in the regular season but won five straight matches – four by sweep – to take the Div. 7 title over St. Paul. The title was the sixth all-time for the Breakers but first since 2007.
Northern Section
Foothill of Palo Cedro defeated Shasta in Div. I to claim its second title over three years. Mia Wallace had 11 kills to lead the victors.
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East Nicolaus got 28 kills from Jadyn Hoffman and served 15 aces as a team to capture its fourth straight title in Div. V. The Spartans improved to 27-0 with the win – the only unbeaten team in the state – and downed a Quincy team that came into the match on a 16-game winning streak.
San Diego Section
Cathedral Catholic swept Torrey Pines in the Open Division final to win the section tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Torrey Pines had been champions of the top division in six of the previous seven seasons before that.
The Dons won behind a well-balanced offense and terrific first-contact control. Jojo Wilson, Madyson McCarthy, and Sophia Johnson all had eight kills and Maya Evens contributed 15 digs.
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Eastlake won its first SDS title by sweeping Rancho Bernardo in Div. 1. Ivanna Rivera-Vargas had a match-high 11 kills, including the clincher, to lead a balanced Titan offense. Noelle Barcas added four aces.
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Brawley won the Div. 3 title in four sets over Santana. Grace Walker and Breaunna Rebollar had 11 kills apiece for the Wildcats. Rebollar also set in three rotations.
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Katie Muse had 10 kills to lead High Tech-Mesa past Lincoln of San Diego in five sets for the Div. 4 championship. The Thunder trailed 11-9 in the final set, but senior Yesenia Aguirre served them to the win on the strength of a 6-0 closing run. Aguirre finished with six aces.
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Southwest-SD won its second title all time by outlasting Orange Glen in four sets in Div. 5. Brianna Hernandez had 10 kills for the Raiders, who came into the playoffs three games under .500 for the season. Southwest served 12 aces for the match, nine in Games 3 and 4 after the teams split the first two.
Sac-Joaquin Section
Sophomore Mckenna McIntosh had 38 kills as St. Mary’s of Stockton edged past Rocklin for the Div. 1 title.
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Vacaville captured the Div. 2 title in five sets over state-ranked Christian Brothers. Seniors Ebony Lewis and Arianna Woltz combined for 31 kills and 34 digs in the win.
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Vanden got 14 kills each from Izzy Taylor and Ariah Isadore in defeating Roseville for the Div. 3 title. The Tigers lost in the championship match for the second consecutive year.
Central Coast Section
Saint Francis of Mountain View defeated WCAL for St. Ignatius for the third straight time to capture the CCS Open Division title. Riley Barulich fed Grace Gowdy on the left for the game-winner in the fourth set. MB Ella Fulton also had a strong showing for the Lancers.
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Kiana Mark had 20 kills and four aces in Monta Vista’s four-set win over Aragon in Div. 2.
The state of the State
One day after the last section championships were determined, the CIF State office unveiled its SoCal and NorCal Regional brackets in six divisions in the south and seven divisions in the north. The Open Division and Divisions I-V will play for a state title in Orange on Nov. 22-23. Division VI in the north competes only for a regional title.
Play began Tuesday in all but the Open Division and NorCal Division VI and continued last night with second-round matches. A total of eight teams remain in contention for state titles in each of those Divisions.
The Open Division and Division VI started their competitions on Wednesday. Eight Open teams remain and play again on Saturday. Four Div. VI teams are left and also play on Saturday.
The first round of Open play on Wednesday can only be described as “riveting.” Four of the eight matches went the full five sets. There were two reverse sweeps (where the losing team wins the first two sets). A No. 1 seed was ousted. Four teams in the state top 10 saw their seasons end. A few undermanned teams played heroically in defeat.
In short, high-level volleyball between high-level teams produced newsworthy matches.
In the Southern California bracket, No. 1 Mater Dei survived shorthanded Torrey Pines, 15-13 in the fifth. Torrey Pines, playing without its superstar attacker Finley Krystkowiak (elbow); used big blocking and aggressive serving to take the first two sets. Mater Dei rallied back to win the next two behind better passing and smarter attacking. This forced a fifth set that could have gone either way.
Layli Ostovar had 21 kills and 14 digs for the victorious Monarchs. Westley Matavao added 16 kills and 20 digs. Kayla Ostovar contributed 26 digs. Jaycee Mack led Torrey Pines with 12 kills, 13 digs, and three blocks.
Nine players saw action in all five sets for the Falcons. Eight are underclassmen. Add Krystkowiak and you can expect Torrey Pines to be one of the top teams in the state and the nation next year.
No. 2 Sierra Canyon found itself down two sets and facing match point against a Mira Costa team playing without its superstar hitter, Audrey Flanagan; plus starting setter Milly McGee, and a middle; yet found a way. Costa played very much a “beach style” without many of its core players and Sierra Canyon struggled to adjust. The first four sets were all decided by razor-thin margins. Going to the fifth, Costa had accumulated 99 points; Sierra Canyon 98.
The victorious Trailblazers played their best ball in Game 5, winning 15-7.
“Motivation is such a major factor at this point in the season,” said Sierra Canyon coach Stefanie Wigfall. “I am so thrilled they found that grit and determination needed to come back.”
Mira Costa will graduate its standout libero, Lauren Deckert, but returns its setter and all three terminating pins. The Mustangs will be one of the best teams in the nation next year.
Redondo Union trailed Marymount two sets to one in a top-10 clash before rallying to win in five sets, 15-10 in the fifth. A close match was expected, as the previous match between these two teams in August also went to five sets, but broke in Marymount’s favor, 15-10 in the fifth.
Wednesday’s match, played at Redondo, featured a blowout fourth set, 25-9, which gave the Sea Hawks momentum in the fifth. RS Avery Junk had four of her 15 kills in the decisive set for Redondo, which opened up a 7-5 lead and never trailed again.
Redondo won the game from behind the service line, delivering 14 aces, including seven from sophomore Marlo Libbey. Abby Zimmerman led the offense with 20 kills.
Sophomore RS Makenna Barnes led Marymount with 22 kills. The Sailors return the core of their roster next season, including their setter, three high-volume pins, both standout middles, and their entire defense. Marymount will be one of the best teams in the nation next year.
Cathedral Catholic won the fourth regional quarterfinal in straight sets over Los Alamitos. The Dons hit .349 as a team with eight aces. A key to victory was the serving of Cathedral Catholic. Los Al is a pin-heavy squad that sides out consistently, but the Griffins found themselves vexed by short serves that put them out of system more often than not. Mae Kordes led the Cathedral Catholic offense with 12 kills and added three aces. Maya Evens had 15 digs and Kale’a Lee had a double-double with 20 assists and 11 digs.
In the NorCal Region, Rocklin, which lost a heartbreaker to St. Mary’s of Stockton for the Sac-Joaquin Section in Division 1 on Saturday, rebounded to stun Branson, the top-seeded team, in four sets. The Thunder got 17 kills and 12 digs from junior OH Gianna Bogan, who went over 1,000 career kills in the win. Addy Scheitlin, another junior hitter, added 14 kills and four aces. Junior setter Ava Pabalate had 35 assists and 13 digs and eclipsed 1,000 assists for the season.
West Catholic Athletic League teams prevailed in the other three matches. Both Saint Francis of Mountain View and Archbishop Mitty won in straight sets, Saint Francis over St. Mary’s of Stockton and Mitty over Marin Catholic, St. Ignatius needed to work to eliminate Clovis North, 20-18 in the fifth set.
Saint Francis dominated the first two contacts behind libero Jaemysen Martin and setter Riley Barulich in its sweep. Libero Nicole Macalintal and OH Makenna Crosson keyed Mitty’s win.
St. Ignatius prevailed despite playing without a starting outside hitter and right side attacker, who were both sick. The Wildcats learned this news the morning of the match.
“Other teammates knew they had to step up and give it a try,” said coach Saga Vae. That included Elise Lau, a libero, playing outside and Carol Manu having a great game on the outside (29 kills) despite not feeling too well herself. Freshman setter Gia McManigal also played with distinction for the Wildcats, who won on a combo block from Manu and sophomore middle Eileen Pfeffer.
“To be in the Open semifinals is a blessing and we are soaking it all in,” Vae said.
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First-round play in Division I saw Oaks Christian, Santa Margarita Catholic, Liberty of Bakersfield, Campolindo and Los Gatos win on the road as lower seeds. Palo Alto ousted Tamalpais behind 26 kills from Maura Hambly.
Oaks stunned Southern Section Div. 2 champion Murrieta Valley in five sets. The Lions took the first two sets, yielded the next two as MV’s outsides heated up, then got a leg up in the fifth when Hannah Brady rattled off five serves in a row. Thanks to relentless defense and consistent offense from its middles, Oaks prevailed in extra points, 16-14, the first state playoff win since coach Julie Bennett has been in charge.
“The last three years we’ve lost in the first round,” Bennett observed. “We just haven’t been able to rebound from sectional losses.”
Santa Margarita and Liberty won in five sets, as did favored Francis Parker, Folsom, and Foothill of Pleasanton. James Logan took down Pleasant Grove in a battle of state-ranked teams, behind 17 kills and 10 digs from McKenzie Anderson.
Five lower-seeded teams, Windward, Bishop Diego, Sacred Heart Prep, Cardinal Newman and Burlingame, won first-round matches in Div. II. Windward and Bishop Diego took out Taft and Venice, respectively, the Los Angeles Section Open Division finalists. Sacred Heart Prep continued its strong late-season run with a win over San Francisco Section champion Lincoln. Oak Ridge outlasted Valley Christian of San Jose, last year’s state champion in Div. I, in five sets. Three from the San Diego Section, Eastlake, San Dieguito Academy, and The Bishop’s, also won to advance.
The first round of Div. III action saw all higher-seeded teams in the South win, while St. Joseph Notre Dame, Roseville, and Lowell prevailed in the North as lower seeds. East Nicolaus, the Northern Section Div. 5 champion, won as a higher seed to remain undefeated on the year.
Home court ruled in Div. IV first-round matchups, with all 16 hosts prevailing. That trend did not hold in Div. V, where Encinal, Woodland Christian, Woodlake, Southwest SD, and St. Pius X–St. Matthias prevailed as lower seeds. The top four seeds in Div. VI are through to the semifinals, headed by No. 1 San Francisco Waldorf.
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Last night, play in Divisions I-V whittled the field in half again, with only four per region in each division still in contention to get to Orange after the night.
The Southern California Regional saw Huntington Beach, Palos Verdes, Oaks Christian, and Santa Margarita Catholic make the semis in D-I, Bakersfield Christian, Eastlake, Windward, and Centennial of Bakersfield move on in D-II, Central Valley Christian, El Dorado, Porterville and Palisades reach the final four in D-III, Walnut, Brawley, Crossroads and South Pasadena survived and advanced in D-IV and Eagle Rock, Bell Gardens, Woodlake and Reseda are into the semifinals in D-V.
Huntington Beach, the No. 8 team in the state, won easily over San Luis Obispo in Div. I. The Oilers have refocused after a challenging time during pool play in Southern Section Div. 1 to win six straight sets without yielding more than 20 points in any. Ball control, led by libero Olivia Foye, was key. She had 18 digs and passed an astounding 2.71. Tori Esko ran a balanced offense for HB, which saw Ellie Esko, Addison Williams, and Taylor Ponchak all reach double-digit kill totals.
Craig Pazanti’s team will take on Palos Verdes, the No. 10 team statewide, in a Saturday semifinal. PV was swept by Francis Parker behind 22 kills from Kaci Demaria and great games from twins Molly and Mallory Labreche. Molly finished with 17 digs and two aces and showcased her extraordinary defensive instincts and athleticism, while Mallory directed the offense expertly and added six kills and five blocks.
Oaks Christian defeated Liberty of Bakersfield in a strange match that featured five blowouts. The Lions won the last two sets, 25-12, 15-6, to prevail on the road. Sadie Kocur topped Oaks with 15 kills.
Julie Bennett’s squad next takes on Santa Margarita Catholic after the Eagles got by Temecula Valley in four sets. Temecula won the first set, but Katy Daly’s team gained momentum with a dominating win in the second, then prevailed at deuce in Sets 3 and 4 to advance. Sophomore Marley Bemus shined at setter in the win and the in-hitting duo of Ireland Real and Memphis Burnett each had 21 kills.
No match in SoCal D-II ended in a sweep. Windward and Centennial both needed five sets to take out The Bishop’s and Long Beach Poly, respectively.
Central Valley Christian, the D-IV state runner-up in 2022; ousted Point Loma in four sets in D-III. The Cavaliers started 5-7 this season, but have won 28 of their last 29 matches. They beat a Point Loma team that was strong defensively by matching the defensive intensity, coming up with key blocks at the net, and getting terrific distribution from sophomore setter Emerson Kroeze, who had 37 assists, six digs, and five kills. Libero Cooper Piepgrass also was outstanding. The junior amassed 22 digs, many of the spectacular variety; and passed a 2.19. Senior middle Lola Highstreet also shined, with 11 kills and five stuff blocks.
Palisades swept El Capitan of Lakeside In Div. III. The Dolphins are the last team still standing that played in the LA Section’s Open Division. El Dorado moved on behind high-volume scorer Sofia Shine.
Defense, led by Sianna Prum, keyed Porterville’s win.
“We moved well, covered well, and made great digs to keep plays alive,” noted coach Sia Keovilaysane. “We controlled the ball well in serve receive and that allowed us to run an effective offense.”
Nat Rankin had 33 assists in the win, while Haiden Arbelo and Ryleigh Schoonover combined for 35 kills.
The NorCal Regional saw Folsom, Foothill of Pleasanton, Redwood of Larkspur, and Campolindo move on in D-I, San Ramon Valley, Sacred Heart Prep, Buchanan and Oak Ridge book Final Four tickets in D-II, Branham, Aragon, St. Joseph Notre Dame and Monta Vista prevailed in D-III, Liberty Ranch, St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Fresno Christian, and Hilmar are in the D-IV semifinals and Woodland Christian, Bradshaw Christian, Immanuel, and Bear River are the last four standing in D-V.
Folsom, the No. 22 team in the state, swept by Palo Alto in Div. I. Coach Devin Elmore stressed the team nature of the win, especially with kill and block leader Avery Master out with an injury. Sophomore OH Addie Smith led the Bulldog offense with a dozen kills, while OH Maddy Seabury and libero Khloe Wong were rocks in serve-receive.
It truly was a full team effort last night. Really tough to pick just one player since they all played so well.
Folsom overcame injury to make the semifinals in D-I of the NorCal Regional Championships.
Folsom will meet state No. 20 Foothill on Saturday after the Falcons rallied from two sets down to oust No. 18 James Logan, reversing a result from just a few days before in section play. Foothill won the third set, 25-5, and came back from down 20-16 in the fourth.
Kaycie Burdick (24 kills; 16 assists) and Paige Nelson (40 assists; six blocks; two aces) were instrumental in the win for the Falcons.
Redwood beat Clovis in straight sets to advance.
“Our serve and pass stood out for sure,” said Redwood coach Jane Seslar. “We had 11 aces and did not get aced by Clovis. Our defensive hustle stood out as well which isn’t a stat line but for sure a difference maker in terms of covering and hustle plays.”
Maddy Wagner led the Giants offense with 12 kills.
Campolindo got by Los Gatos in five. The Cougars have won 14 of their past 15 matches.
San Ramon Valley defeated Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep in four to advance in D-II. The Wolves next take on a Sacred Heart Prep team that has gotten red hot in the playoffs.
Branham dropped previously unbeaten East Nicolaus in D-III. Aragon knocked off Salinas for the second time this year, as Gabby Xiao had 25 assists and 12 digs and Caitlyn Rubinstein and Caitlyn Robertson teamed for 19 kills in what coach Annette Trimble called a “total team effort.”
Aragon beat Salinas in NorCal D-III, marking the second straight time the Dons have ousted a section champion during the regional tournament.