Recently in Volleyball Category
Led by 18 kills from Birmingham graduate Danetta Boykin, the Pierce College women's volleyball team defeated Santa Rosa 25-19, 25-21, 26-24 in the California Community College Athletic Association state final Sunday at Shasta College in Redding to repeat as champion.
Boykin finished with 62 kills in three state matches to secure MVP honors, leading four Pierce athletes honored on the all-tournament team, along with Taft graduate Jasmine Levi (eight kills, six blocks), former Newbury Park standout Veronika Ban (nine kills, 11 digs) and Sakurako Fujii (12 kills, eight digs).
West Ranch graduate Janelle Futch added 47 assists, nine digs and five blocks for Pierce (33-0), which became only the fifth team in state history to win back-to-back titles.
The Brahmas, who received 13 digs from Valencia graduate Brooke Dawson, are the first team to complete an undefeated season since Orange Coast in 2005 and the first to repeat as champion since El Camino in 2007 and '08.
For the third time in a nine-day span, the Pierce College women's volleyball team rallied for a five-game victory, this time overcoming a two-game deficit against El Camino College in the winner's-bracket final of the California Community College Athletic Association state tournament Sunday to prevail 19-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-9 at Shasta College in Redding.
Led by 21 kills from Birmingham graduate Danetta Boykin, the top-seeded Brahmas (32-0) returned to the state final and will take on El Camino (25-3) or Santa Rosa (29-3) at approximately 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
Newbury Park graduate Veronika Ban added 12 kills, 12 digs and eight blocks for Pierce, which is looking to become just the fifth team in the tournament's 35-year history to win back-to-back titles. El Camino was the last team to do so in 2007 and '08.
Former West Ranch standout Janelle Futch contributed 46 assists, five digs and four aces and quickly recovered from a sore ankle after landing awkwardly late in the fourth game to cap Pierce's comeback in the fifth by winning a joust at the net on match point.
Sakurako Fujii had 12 kills and seven digs, with Taft graduate Jasmine Levi recording seven kills and five blocks for the Brahmas, who overcame two games-to-one deficits Nov. 26 against Orange Coast in a second-round regional match and again Saturday against Santa Rosa in its semifinal match.
Led by four Harvard-Westlake alumni and Reseda resident Jennifer Beltran, a former Marymount standout, 11 area graduates qualified for the NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament, which begins Thursday.
Here is the roster of local entries in the 64-team field:
California: Christina Higgins (Harvard-Westlake)
Delaware: Katie Hank (Valencia), Alyssa Walton (Flintridge Sacred Heart)
Illinois: Jennifer Beltran (Marymount, Reseda resident
Pepperdine: Michele Boskovich (Oaks Christian)
Sacred Heart: Maile Hetherington (Thousand Oaks)
Stanford: Katherine Sebastian (Harvard-Westlake)
UCLA: Rachael Kidder (Moorpark), Meg Norton (Harvard-Westlake
Washington: Jenna Orlandini (Flintridge Sacred Heart)
Yale: Dani Salka (Harvard-Westlake)
Thousand Oaks 3, Long Beach Wilson 1
Mission Viejo 3, La Canada 2
Los Alamitos swept Louisville
Sierra Canyon swept Excelsior Education Center
Oaks Christian swept Bishop Amat
Saugus swept Anaheim Canyon
Newport Harbor swept Notre Dame
Laguna Beach swept Valencia
Claremont swept La Reina
Camarillo swept Los Altos
Burroughs, which has won 16 consecutive matches and secured its first Pacific League title since 2007, will look to continue its success Friday and Saturday at the 16-team Crescenta Valley tournament.
Burroughs, led by senior Megan Stephenson, is in the same pool as Oak Park, Eagle Rock and Alta Loma when play begins at 3 p.m. Friday.
Hart is paired with South Pasadena, Maranatha and Crescenta Valley White.
Taft is matched up with Pasadena Poly, Righetti and Pasadena.
Van Nuys will compete against South Hills, L.A. Baptist and Crescenta Valley Blue.
The top eight teams will compete in the gold division playoffs beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, with the final scheduled for approximately 3 p.m.
Saugus, the two-time defending champion, is competing in the Redondo Power Classic this weekend, so there will be a new champ crowned.
The four-team pools have been determined for the Redondo Power Classic, and one of the biggest showdowns on Friday's schedule is the rematch between area volleyball powers Saugus and Oaks Christian in pool that also includes Flintridge Sacred Heart, with all matches at West Torrance High.
Oaks Christian defeated Saugus 25-22 in the San Luis Obispo tournament final Sept. 10.
Neither team has lost a match since, with Saugus winning 48 of 51 games -- including Thursday's Foothill League sweep of Golden Valley -- highlighted by its own tournament title Sept. 24.
Oaks Christian remained unbeaten since a season-opening loss Sept. 1 to Buena following Thursday night's four-game Tri-Valley League victory at La Reina. Since defeating Saugus, the Lions have won 46 of 50 games.
Although local programs Granada Hills, La Canada and West Ranch are also competing in the two-day tournament, Saugus is the lone area team to be seeded at No. 8.
Valencia is competing in a pool with No. 7 Long Beach Poly, along with Peninsula and Palisades at West Torrance.
Granada Hills, which lost to El Camino Real in Thursday's West Valley League showdown, is in the same pool with No. 3 South Torrance, Buena and Harbor at South Torrance.
La Canada and West Ranch will square off Friday in a pool that includes No. 5 Centennial of Bakersfield and La Jolla at El Segundo.
Gold division playoffs, featuring the top 16 teams, will take place Saturday at both Redondo Union and South Torrance, with the final scheduled for approximately 3 p.m. at Redondo Union.
There are plenty of good girls' volleyball matches in the region Thursday
Oaks Christian at La Reina, 6 p.m.
The Lions, who have won 21 in a row, are going for an undefeated run through Tri-Valley League play. La Reina is going for a share of first place.
El Camino Real at Granada Hills, 4 p.m.
The West Valley League championship is up for grabs. ECR grabs a share of first place with a victory. Granada Hills wants an undefeated league championship.
The teams are expected to be seeded 1-2 in the City Section Div. I playoffs.
West Ranch at Valencia, 6 p.m. (Vikings need win to secure second place in Foothill League behind Saugus)
Royal at Thousand Oaks, 6 p.m. (Lancers close with three straight road matches in pursuit of undefeated Marmonte League record)
Pacifica at Camarillo, 6 p.m. (Scorpions have won 25 consecutive Pacific View League matches and seek back-to-back outright championships with victory)
Saugus at Golden Valley, 5 p.m. (Centurions look to punctuate first Foothill League title since 2001)
Notre Dame at Louisville, 6:30 p.m. (After securing first Mission League title since 1991, Knights can't afford letdown against Louisville, which is tied for second)
The Campbell Hall girls' volleyball team did something Tuesday it couldn't do last season against Brentwood, despite going onto winning the Div. III-A championship.
Win an Alpha League match against the Eagles.
Alex Cardwell had 24 kills, repeatedly hitting past Brentwood defenders to lead the Vikings in a 25-20, 19-25, 25-21, 25-21 victory.
The win puts the Vikings in favorable position to capture the league championship.
Brentwood came in as the top-ranked team in Div. III-A.
"We had so many people supporting us," Cardwell said. "I got up this morning and was like, 'It's Brentwood again'."
Phelix Fincher and Alexa Brown each had 24 digs and Julianna Tucker had nine kills and 23 assists for Campbell Hall.
"Ever since I was a freshman it has been a huge rivalry," Tucker said. "The fans are insane. The tension is crazy and our football players weren't even there. Every time we play them it just gets bigger and bigger. It is the best feeling in the world to beat them."
The match turned in Campbell Hall's favor in game three.
The Vikings were down 13-8 but rallied quickly for four consecutive points, eventually took a 19-16 lead and closed it out.
Campbell Hall rode the momentum into game four and never trailed.
"The setting was literally amazing," Cardwell said. "We really executed around their block well."
First-year coach Turhan Douglas couldn't have been more pleased with the important league win.
"It was our true test of the season and we passed," Douglas said. "We had a good game plan and executed the game plan.
Two years ago Campbell Hall beat Brentwood four times but fell short in the playoffs.
Last year, the Vikings lost twice to Brentwood but regrouped to win the Div. III-A championship against Rim of the World.
Campbell Hall hopes the trend doesn't continue.
"Our goal is to win every league match and win another CIF championship," Tucker said.
George Hees, who led Oaks Christian to four consecutive Southern Section boys' volleyball titles from 2005-08, has stepped down as Lions coach, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.
Hees will remain as Oaks Christian's girls' volleyball coach, after leading the Lions to the Div. II-AA semifinals last year. Oaks Christian (12-1) is ranked No. 4 in Div. II-AA this season.
Hees posted a 174-40 record in eight seasons as boys' coach, winning playoff matches in three divisions. Oaks Christian advanced to the second round of the Div. II playoffs in the spring, losing to Beckman.
The Notre Dame girls' volleyball team is on the verge of taking down perennial juggernaut Harvard-Westlake.
Notre Dame, which is 12-0 this season has won the first two sets, 25-23 and 25-16 in a Mission League opener for both schools.
Harvard-Westlake has gone 40-0 in league play the past for seasons but it looks as though that streak is coming to an end.
The Wolverines have won 47 league matches in a row while Notre Dame hasn't beaten the Wolverines in 13 consecutive contests dating to 2004.




Recent Comments
pccrazy on HS FOOTBALL: Two sides to story in ECR-Canoga postgame brawl: Big deal. A little fight after a hard fought, controversial football ...
jack on HS FOOTBALL: Oaks Christian quarterback Falk leaves school: Family situation? Sure it is. Pull my other leg and it plays jingle ...
henbyoo on Boys' basketball: Taft vows to keep program strong: With a distinctive volt green geometric pattern on the heel and tradem ...
gregb on HS FOOT: Crespi goes for gold with new look: The school colors are brown and gold. Only in the last few years have ...
gregb on HS FOOTBALL: Can Notre Dame come back?: And please don't forget how they lost. On a Cal-Stanford play without ...
bighutch on HS HOOPS: Distant league Golden in playoffs: I'm glad something is finally being wrote about golden league, they ha ...
bighutch on HS HOOPS: Distant league Golden in playoffs: I'm glad something is finally being wrote about golden league, they ha ...
circlejerk on HS FOOT: Westlake's Isham is Daily News Player of Year: Did Jim Benkert allow Gittleson to have 'any' input at all this year ? ...
Bill Murphy on HS FOOT: Chaminade kicker does about face, decommits from Boise State: Too bad. Michigan certainly is no Boise State. Unless the young man ...