These four from Torrey Pines of San Diego were all-tourney when the Falcons won the California Challenge to start their 2019 season. Photo: tpvolleyball.com.
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All-State Nominations: This year’s Cal-Hi Sports All-State Teams for girls volleyball will be drastically expanded. In the past, we’ve done a player of year, coach of year and then two teams of 12 players overall (1st & 2nd team). Starting this season, we will be honoring girls volleyball players for separate all-state teams for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, medium schools, small schools and large schools (similar to format for boys and girls hoops). Coaches & parents are welcome to send in nominations as the season begins to conclude. Send to markjtennis@gmail.com.
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
(Through reported results of Tuesday, Sept. 10)
1. (4) Torrey Pines (San Diego) 11-0
The Falcons started out behind Cathedral Catholic in the state and for the CIF San Diego Section, but quickly reversed that order by beating the Dons in two separate matches. That put them in a spot to perhaps steal the state’s top ranking when they hosted unbeaten Redondo Union on Tuesday night and they did just that with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-22 three-game sweep. A lot of folks in San Diego were curious about where the Cathedral Catholic football team was going to be ranked this week after it knocked off Corona Centennial last Friday. These girls deserve similar treatment, but there is a difference. The Falcons are No. 1 in the state and are No. 2 nationally this week as well after their big win over Redondo.
2. (2) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) 15-1
It proved to be too much for the Sea Kings to follow up their great victory over Mater Dei from last week with another one on the road on Tuesday at Torrey Pines. The good news is they’ve been playing without All-American junior setter Kami Miner and that there will be plenty of other opportunities to effectively avenge that loss, beginning on Sept. 20-21 when many of the top teams in the state plus many from around the nation will be at the Durango Fall Classic.
3. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 3-1
Mia Tuaniga has been a monster in the team’s first four matches. The loss, of course, was to Redondo last week. We had MD No. 1 and Redondo No. 2 before that match, which is unlike the CIF Southern Section, which listed to two teams in a rankings tie. We’ve never had a tie in any of our state rankings covering 40 years and five other sports in addition to girls volleyball. That’s because they are meaningless. The Monarchs clearly deserved to be No. 1 and Redondo needed to beat them in order to move ahead. Head coach Dan O’Dell and his girls will be in Louisville, Ky., this week to play in a match on Thursday at national No. 1 Assumption and then will be in Assumption’s tourney. Let’s all say it together: Go Monarchs!
Ella Rubin makes a signal to a teammate for No. 4 Marymount. Photo: @MHSLAAthletics / Twitter.com.
4. (5) Marymount (Los Angeles) 8-0
The Sailors move up one spot from the preseason with a perfect start so far that includes the championship of the annual Dave Mohs Memorial Tournament. That’s an Orange County tradition. Marymount defeated La Costa Canyon of Carlsbad in its match.
5. (3) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 6-3
Despite losing those two early matches with Torrey Pines, the Dons still look like they have a very impressive lineup of starters. Their other loss in the first nine matches came to Redondo Union.
6. (9) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 5-0
It didn’t take long for the Wildcats to establish themselves as the No. 1 team in Northern California. They’ve already got wins over previous No. 6 Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco and perennial power Archbishop Mitty of San Jose.
7. (12) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 12-1
A CIF Southern Section D1 semifinalist from last season, the Trailblazers have lost only to No. 1 Torrey Pines. Their best wins so far have come over La Jolla and Rancho Cucamonga.
8. (NR) St. Francis (Mountain View) 13-0
Kirra Kellerman led the Lancers with eight kills when they topped preseason NorCal No. 1 Sacred Heart Cathedral 2-0 in the finals of the annual Spikefest tourney. St. Francis hasn’t lost since then, including a title last weekend at the Menlo tourney. There was a scare on Tuesday night, however, when Palo Alto forced a fifth set before the Lancers prevailed.
9. (NR) Foothill (Tustin) 8-2
The Knights lost their first match of the season, but showed something to everyone because that was to then-No. 1 Mater Dei and it was a match in which they took two of five sets from the Monarchs. Foothill’s only other loss is to Temecula Valley, which also is a team it has beaten.
10. (6) Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 7-2
The Fighting Irish girls fell in their first match of the season, but it was to Marin Catholic and that team is still unbeaten and up to No. 6 in this week’s rankings. The only other loss was to league rival St. Francis of Mountain View in the championship game of the Spikefest tourney in Milpitas. St. Francis is still unbeaten as well so Sacred Heart Cathedral can continue to be in the top 10.
11. (10) Los Alamitos 10-4
Of the four losses by the Griffins, two were to Redondo and one was to nationally ranked Iolani of Hawaii. There is one more loss (to Huntington Beach), but that one is balanced out by some quality wins, especially the ones against Lakewood and Wilson of Long Beach.
12. (16) St. Francis (Sacramento) 12-0
Head coach Alynn Wright’s squad looked like the pride of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section before the start of the season and that has proven to be correct so far. The Troubadours also are now the top-ranked team for the entire Central Valley, counting the CIF Central Section as well, due to their victories over Clovis schools last weekend at the Central California Classic.
13. (NR) Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) 3-1
There haven’t been many matches yet for the Mustangs, but the three reported wins they have had came against La Costa Canyon of Carlsbad, Temecula Valley and Village Christian of Sun Valley and were all significant. Plus, Mira Costa’s only loss so far has been to unbeaten No. 6 Marymount of Los Angeles.
14. (8) Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 6-3
The Jackrabbits were all set to be in the top 10, but on Tuesday night they were upset by Moore League rival Wilson of Long Beach. They were in the Molten Classic at Lakewood and did well, winning the championship in four sets over La Salle of Pasadena. Before losing to the Bruins, Poly’s first two losses were to higher-ranked Marymount and Redondo.
Sara Dukes Johnson has another team at Monte Vista that should be among the favorites in CIF North Coast Section D1 playoffs. Photo: leaguelineup.com.
15. (15) Village Christian (Sun Valley) 7-3
This team stays in the same spot as it was sitting in the preseason. The losses are to Eastlake, Mira Costa and Marlborough but the wins have come over Temecula Valley, Rancho Cucamonga and others.
16. (17) Temecula Valley (Temecula) 9-5
The Bears avenged one of their early losses at the Dave Mohs tourney with a win over Foothill of Tustin, but then lost to Mira Costa. They also have established themselves in the Inland Empire with wins over Chaparral of Temecula and Rancho Cucamonga.
17. (NR) Pleasant Valley (Chico) 11-0
It’s always great to see a team that could just stay in its comfort zone, beat everyone from its local area and then cruise to the playoffs. The Vikings instead took on the challenge of being in the Gold Bracket of the Burbank tourney. In that bracket, Pleasant Valley won every match, including the one against Huntington Beach in the final.
18. (NR) Monte Vista (Danville) 7-1
The Mustangs followed up a strong showing at the Marin Catholic/Branson Elite 8 tourney with a win on Tuesday over Livermore that made them 5-0 in the East Bay Athletic League. At the Elite 8, Monte Vista had wins against Campolindo, Palo Alto and Bishop O’Dowd with their only loss of the season so far coming to Marin Catholic.
19. (NR) Huntington Beach 11-5
It’s been a super-tough schedule for the Oilers so far and that’s going to continue in league games against the likes of Los Alamitos, Corona del Mar and more. Recent losses aren’t great, but some of the early wins were notable, especially those against Palos Verdes, Harvard-Westlake and Los Alamitos.
20. (NR) Clovis North (Fresno) 15-2
If we were doing the Central Section teams before Tuesday, preseason No. 14 Liberty of Bakersfield would be the one team we’d be sure to have listed. But on Tuesday night, Clovis West of Fresno knocked off the Patriots. The Broncos have a split of two matches vs. Liberty with their only other loss to unbeaten St. Francis of Sacramento. Clovis West has four losses in all. Clovis North also has two wins over Clovis and two wins over defending D1 section champion Central of Fresno.
DROPPED OUT:
Previous No. 7 La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad), No. 11 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), No. 13 Santa Margarita (Rancho SM), No. 14 Liberty (Bakersfield), No. 18 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), No. 19 Rancho Cucamonga, No. 20 James Logan (Union City).
TEAMS ON THE BUBBLE
Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo) 7-3
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 4-3
Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) 3-3
Campolindo (Moraga) 4-3
Chaparral (Temecula) 21-3
Clovis West (Fresno) 14-4
Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) 2-1
Eastlake (Chula Vista) 14-5
James Logan (Union City) 0-0
La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 10-7
Laguna Beach 15-4
Lakewood 6-5
Menlo School (Atherton) 9-3
Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 8-2
Palo Alto 3-3
Palos Verdes (PV Estates) 9-6
Rancho Cucamonga 4-4
San Juan Hills (SJ Capistrano) 13-4
Santa Margarita (Rancho SM) 8-8
Wilson (Long Beach) 12-5
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
