Southern Section playoffs aren’t enough. No, there are also state playoffs.

So fresh off repeating as CIF Southern Section Division 5 champions, the Damien volleyball team is gearing up once again. The third-seeded Spartans (32-7) will host No. 6 Encinitas San Dieguito Academy in Division III play at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

San Dieguito was the Valley League champion and won the San Diego section Division 3  championship.

Sometimes teams have trouble getting excited about another round of playoffs but Spartans coach Randy Bohlmann thinks his team will be up for the challenge.

“Last year we got a tough draw and had Corona del Mar in the first round so the guys pretty much knew our chances weren’t good,” he said. “I think they’re more excited this time.”

Here is link to story on Damien’s win over Laguna Blanca in Saturday’s CIF Division 5 title match.

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VIDEO: Damien coach Randy Bohlmann talks about quarterfinal win over Santa Fe.

The No. 1 Damien boys volleyball team survived a tough five-set match against No. 10 Santa Fe on Saturday night. But the playoff path will only get tougher.

The Spartans (30-7) will host North Hollywood Oakwood (21-5) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a Division 5 semifinal. No. 4 Oakwood advanced with a 3-0 win over California.

“They’re very good. We’re going to have to play very well,” Damien coach Randy Bohlmann said.

Damien is the defending champion but it graduated its setter and its middle blockers. Senior outside hitter Michael Spinney has been the top offensive player. He had 20 kills in the Spartans most recent win.

Oakwood was the top finisher in the Liberty League.

The Spartans aren’t going without any knowledge of their foe. It’s the same team they beat last year in the quarterfinal 3-1.

Damien is the lone local team left in boys volleyball with Redlands and Loma Linda both losing their respective quarterfinals.

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Damien celebrates CIF title last spring. They are favored to repeat.

The Damien boys volleyball team won a CIF title last year. And while the Spartans might not be quite as potent as last year, they’re capable of repeating.

The CIF playoff pairings were released and the Spartans have drawn the No. 1 seed as expected. Not only are they the defending champion, they were ranked No. 1 much of the season.

“We’re not quite what we were last year but we’re still a pretty solid team,” coach Randy Bohlmann said. “We have some guys that have been there before so they have some big match experience.”

Damien cruised through the Hacienda League play, dropping just two sets in nine matches. Bohlmann’s squad was challenged in a couple of top notch tournaments though, the most notable one an event it won in San Diego last month.

The team is led by a trio of returning senior starters in libero Nick Hibshman and outside hitters Michael Spinney and  Chris Mercado.

The Spartans (27-7) will open the playoffs at home Tuesday against the winner of a wild card match between Dunn and Pomona, both third-place finishers in their respective leagues.

“We have played some pretty good competition so we’re about as ready as we can be,” Bohlmann said.

The Spartans did have a minor setback late in the season as junior setter Brandon Nyquist, a defensive specialist on the team last year, sustained a foot injury late in league play. Junior Jack Mitcher, who set on the junior varsity team last year, took over in his absence and did an admirable job,

Bohlmann isn’t sure what lineup he’ll use quite yet. He said they’re different type of setters so he can’t just run a 6-2 offense. Nyquist handled the job during the balance of the season but Mitchner is taller and can be a bigger asset when it comes to blocking,

There is considerable local representation in Division 5 with other wild card teams including Arrowhead Christian, the runner-up to Damien last year, Rim of the World and Ontario Christian with Loma Linda, Ganesha, Indian Springs and San Gorgonio in the main draw.

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Seniors Chris Mercado, Nick Hibshman and Michael Spinney were All-Tournament selections at an event last weekend in San Diego.

The Damien boys volleyball team won a CIF title a year ago. While the Spartans graduated a couple of key players they still look poised and ready for another postseason run.

Coach Randy Bohlmann’s team is 16-4 and ranked No. 1 in Division 5. The squad turned in a convincing performance last week at the Scripps Ranch Tournament in San Diego, going 7-1 and winning the event which included 24 teams competing at four different venues.

The team is working with a new setter and new middles but the transition has gone rather smoothly.

“We’re not quite as efficient as we were last year but we’re improving and we’re doing pretty well,” Bohlman said. “This tournament was good for us. There was some good competition and we did well so we’re probably where we need to be.”

Junior Brandon Nyquist, a defensive specialist last year, has done an admirable job in the setting role previously held by Christian Hernandez. Among the other newcomers is senior Sam Waldschmitt, who played as a freshman but didn’t the last two years, choosing to focus on basketball.

The veteran core is led by libero Nick Hibshman and outside hitters Chris Mercado and Michael Spinney – all seniors. The three were named to the All-Tournament team at the recent event and have provided the foundation for the success that has come this season.

“We really pretty scrappy,” Bohlmann said. “We get to a lot of balls and we’re never out of a point.”

The Spartans opened Hacienda League play with a 3-0 win over No. 8 West Covina on Tuesday. They play at No. 10 Diamond Ranch today so they’ll truly be able to se where they stand.

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VIDEO: Damien coach Randy Bohlmann talks about his team’s most recent win and advancing to CIF title match.

The seeding held true so it will be No. 1 Damien (25-6) and No. 2 Arrowhead Christian Academy (25-2) squaring of for the CIF Division 5 boys volleyball championship on Saturday at Cerritos College.

Both teams have been stellar all season. The Spartans cruised through Hacienda League play without a loss. Coach Randy Bohlmann knew his team had postseason potential so he made sure it played a difficult non-league schedule in preparation.

Damien has won seven straight matches, the last loss coming to Taft on May at the Crescenta Valley Tournament.

The Spartans, who had never been past the quarterfinal until this season, boast a balanced offense, with senior setter Christian Hernandez being the catalyst.  Offensive standouts include seniors John Prata and Chris Jorritsma and juniors Michael Spinney and Chris Mercado.

Arrowhead Christian (25-2), won the Ambassador League without much trouble. The Eagles have won 17 straight matches, the most recent being a 3-0 sweep of Laguna Blanca in Wednesday’s semifinal.

Their lone losses this season have been to Warren and St. John Boscoe.

ACA is more reliant on a dominant player in senior Kaleb Denmark, who had 24 kills in the semifinal win. How dominant is he? Well he has 178 kills and the second most comes from senior Tanner Joritsma with 96.

Senior Joey Savala is the setter.

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