Recently in Volleyball Category

The South Bay enjoyed a slew of signings as part of the Early Signing Period last week. Here are a few of the highlights from selected signings parties. If you would like to submit a photo of your signing party, please email tony.ciniglio@dailybreeze.com.


From Palos Verdes in its gym (left-to-right): volleyball player Madi Cicchetti (Fairleigh Dickerson), softball player Sammi Gyerman (Iowa), volleyball player Kenedy McGrath (Virginia Tech), basketball player Kelsey Brockway (Pepperdine), volleyball player Samantha Rummans (Hawaii Pacific), volleyball player Kelly Johnson (Yale) and volleyball player Hannah Rau (Davidson).


From North Torrance (left-to-right) as they actually sign: softball players Kelsey Cairns (Cal State East Bay), Sydney Halleen (San Jose State), Coco Taualii (Brigham Young) and Jordan Stamps (Delaware State).


From Carson from its stage (left-to-right): softball players Laura Herrera (Florida State College at Jacksonville), Brittanie Lamotte (Chico State), Brittany Moeai (UCLA), Darian Tautalafua (Long Beach State) and Alicia Barajas (Southern University).

San Pedro's girls volleyball is once again in the L.A. City Section Volleyball playoffs, but for Coach Kyle Ross, there isn't much to be thrilled about.

Tonight should be a big night for the Bay League in a variety of sports, starting with girls volleyball where Mira Costa and Redondo will renew their rivalry tonight at 7 p.m. at Mira Costa. Redondo finally got over the hump with a league title last season, but expect the Mustangs to be out for revenge. With both teams off to a 3-0 start in league play this will go a long way toward deciding the league champion.

The CIF Southern Section has released its Girls Volleyball rankings for the week and many South Bay programs are being rewarded for their impressive showings during nonleague play.

It's been a stellar first week for some of the South Bay's traditional volleyball powers.

   Many of you likely saw the weekend story about recent Serra graduate Marqise Lee being named Cal-Hi Sports' Boys State Athlete of the Year. 

http://www.dailybreeze.com/preps/ci_18588902

   Columnist Mike Waldner also touched on Lee in a column this morning about Lee and his former Serra/current USC teammates George Farmer and Robert Woods.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_18606191

   To put in perspective the elite list Lee just joined (and Woods joined the year before), here's the all-time Cal-Hi list, which includes retroactive selections for athletes before the 1978-79 school year.

   El Segundo's Scott McGregor is also on there, but so are the likes of Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, John Elway, Jason Kidd, Mark Spitz, Greg Louganis, Darryl Strawberry and C.C. Sabathia among a host of others.  Any way you slice it, some pretty elite company for a pair of Cavaliers who appear to have bright futures at USC and beyond.

   Here's the list ...

ALL-TIME BOYS STATE 
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR 
(Selected by Cal-Hi Sports) 

2010-11 - Marqise Lee, Gardena Serra (football, basketball, track) 
2009-10 - Robert Woods, Gardena Serra (football, track) 
2008-09 - Tyler Gaffney, San Diego Cathedral Catholic (football, baseball) 
2007-08 - German Fernandez, Riverbank (cross country, track) 
2006-07 - Mike Stanton, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (football, basketball, baseball) 
2005-06 - Chase Budinger, Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (basketball, volleyball) 
2004-05 - Drew Shiller, Burlingame (football, basketball, baseball) 
2003-04 - Kenny O'Neal, Oakland Skyline (football, track) 
2002-03 - Steve Smith, Woodland Hills Taft (football, basketball, track) 
2001-02 - Aaron Piersol, Newport Beach Newport Harbor (swimming) 
2000-01 - Antwon Guidry, San Jose Leigh (football, basketball, track) 
1999-00 - D.J. Williams, Concord De La Salle (football, track) 
1998-99 - Chris Lewis, Long Beach Poly (football, volleyball) 
1997-98 - C.C. Sabathia, Vallejo (football, basketball, baseball) 
1996-97 - Ken-Yon Rambo, Long Beach Poly (football, track) 
1995-96 - Chris Claiborne, Riverside J.W. North (football, basketball) 
1994-95 - Eric Guerrero, San Jose Independence (wrestling) 
1993-94 - McKay Christensen, Fresno Clovis West (football, baseball) 
1992-93 - Calvin Harrison, Salinas North Salinas (track, basketball) 
1991-92 - Jason Kidd, Alameda St. Joseph (basketball, baseball) 
1990-91 - Rob Johnson, El Toro (football, basketball, baseball) 
1989-90 - Ryan Hancock, Cupertino Monta Vista (football, baseball) 
1988-89 - Lorenzo Neal, Lemoore (football, wrestling) 
1987-88 - Adam Keefe, Irvine Woodbridge (basketball, volleyball) 
1986-87 - LeRon Ellis, Santa Ana Mater Dei (water polo, basketball, track) 
1985-86 - Brian Johnson, Oakland Skyline (football, baseball) 
1984-85 - George Porter, Lompoc Cabrillo (basketball, track) 
1983-84 - John Williams, L. A. Crenshaw (basketball) 
1982-83 - Mike Smith, Hacienda Heights Los Altos (football, basketball, volleyball) 
1981-82 - Jim McCullough, Hemet (football, wrestling) 
1980-81 - Kevin Willhite, Rancho Cordova (football, track) 
1979-80 - Darryl Strawberry, L.A. Crenshaw (basketball, baseball) 
1978-79 - John Elway, Granada Hills (football, baseball) 
1977-78 - Jesse Vasallo, Mission Viejo (swimming) 
1976-77 - Brian Goodell, Mission Viejo (swimming) 
1975-76 - Greg Louganis, El Cajon Valhalla & Santa Ana (diving) 
1974-75 - Bill Cartwright, Elk Grove (basketball) 
1973-74 - Tim Shaw, Long Beach Wilson (water polo, swimming) 
1972-73 - Lonnie Shelton, Bakersfield Foothill (football, track) 
1971-72 - Scott McGregor, El Segundo (baseball) 
1970-71 - Anthony Davis, San Fernando (football, baseball) 
1969-70 - James McAlister, Pasadena Blair (football, track) 
1968-69 - Jeff Burroughs, Long Beach Wilson (football, baseball) 
1967-68 - Mark Spitz, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming) 
1966-67 - Mickey Cureton, Compton Centennial (football) 
1965-66 - Tim Danielson, Chula Vista (track) 
1964-65 - Paul Wilson, Downey Warren (track) 
1963-64 - Don Schollander, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming) 
1962-63 - Tommie Smith, Lemoore (football, basketball, track) 
1961-62 - Forrest Beaty, Glendale Hoover (track) 
1960-61 - Ulis Williams, Compton (track) 
1959-60 - Dennis Ralston, Bakersfield (tennis) 
1958-59 - Dale Story, Orange (track) 
1957-58 - Willie Davis, L. A. Roosevelt (basketball, baseball, track) 
1956-57 - Bill Kilmer, Azusa Citrus (football, basketball, baseball) 
1955-56 - Fred Lacour, S.F. St. Ignatius (basketball) 
1954-55 - Dick Bass, Vallejo (football) 
1953-54 - Don Bowden, San Jose Lincoln (track) 
1952-53 - Ronnie Knox, Santa Monica (football) 
1951-52 - Marty Keough, Pomona (football, basketball, baseball) 
1950-51 - Charlie Powell, San Diego (football, baseball) 
1949-50 - Lang Stanley, L.A. Jefferson (track) 
1948-49 - John Henry Johnson, Pittsburg (football, basketball, track) 
1947-48 - Bob Mathias, Tulare (football, track) 
1946-47 - Bill McColl, San Diego Hoover (football, basketball, baseball) 
1945-46 - George Stanich, Sacramento (basketball, baseball, track) 
1944-45 - Jackie Jensen, Oakland (football, baseball) 
1943-44 - Bill Sharman, Porterville (football, basketball, baseball) 
1942-43 - Glenn Davis, La Verne Bonita (football, baseball) 
1941-42 - Irv Noren, Pasadena (basketball, baseball) 
1940-41 - Tommie Fears, Los Angeles Manual Arts (football) 
1939-40 - Howie Dallmar, San Francisco Lowell (basketball, baseball) 
1938-39 - Jim Jurkovich, Fresno (football, track) 
1937-38 - Frankie Albert, Glendale (football, baseball, tennis) 
1936-37 - Jackie Robinson, Pasadena Muir (football, basketball, baseball) 
1935-36 - Bobby Doerr, Los Angeles Fremont (pro baseball) 
1934-35 - Ted Williams, San Diego Hoover (baseball) 
1933-34 - Hank Luisetti, San Francisco Galileo (basketball) 
1932-33 - Don Budge, Oakland University (tennis) 
1931-32 - Corney Johnson, Los Angeles (track) 
1930-31 - Frank Sobrero, Oakland (football, basketball, baseball) 

Note: List continues back to 1890-91 in the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book & Almanac. All selections prior to 1978-79 done retroactively through research by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis

   The playoff pairings for the CIF Southern Section boys volleyball playoffs will be released later today (Sunday, May 8) and that should be good news for several area programs.

   Based on the most recent polls (last month) and their strong finishes to league play, Bay League powerhouse Mira Costa should received the No. 1 or 2 seed in Division I (with Redondo lurking somewhere in the bracket too), Pioneer League champion South Torrance should get a top-four seed in Division III and Chadwick and Vistamar could receive the top two seeds in Division V.

   Here were the most recent polls to give you some sense of where teams were ranked going into the final weeks of the regular season, most of which held true to form for area teams.

CIF-SS Division I

1. Santa Margarita

2. Mira Costa

3. Loyola

4. Newport Harbor

5. Mater Dei

6. Redondo

7. Westlake (Westlake Village)

8. Thousand Oaks

9. Santa Barbara

10. Long Beach Poly

 

Division III

1. Burroughs/Burbank

2. Cerritos Valley Christian

3. Warren

4. South Torrance

5. Camarillo

6. Arcadia

7. Claremont

8. Torrance

9. Cypress

10. Mayfair

 

Division IV

1. Santa Monica

2. San Gabriel

3. Windward

4. El Rancho

5. Yucaipa

6. Brentwood

7. Cathedral

8. La Salle

9. Bishop Montgomery

10. Beverly Hills

 

Division V

1. Chadwick

2. Vistamar

3. Viewpoint

4. Pasadena Poly

5. Providence

6. Milken Community

7. Saddleback Valley Christian

8. Firebaugh

9. St. Monica

10. Downey Calvary Chapel

The Chadwick girls volleyball team had a breakthrough home victory earlier this season when it took down Prep League foe Mayfield, which was ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division III-AA at the time.
Chadwick, now ranked first in Division III-AA, proved it was no fluke when it won at Mayfield, now ranked third, on Tuesday night in four games.
With Val Geiger and Corinne Hemmersbach leading the charge, Chadwick remains undefeated this season and is hitting on all cylinders.
"We're putting away balls and not letting many balls drop," Chadwick coach  Michael Cass said. "I think it's just a great group of girls who get along and are playing at a high level."
Will Chadwick be able to sustain this level of excellence?
"It's kind of the perfect storm at this moment," Cass said. "Hopefully the girls can sustain it through the playoffs."

The Chadwick girls volleyball team hadn't beaten Prep League powerhouse Mayfield in a while when it finally broke through on Thursday night -- and with a sweep no less. Host Chadwick's 28-26, 25-12, 25-22 win may announce a shift of power in the Prep League. Going into the match, Mayfield was ranked first in CIF Southern Section's Division III-AA and Chadwick third. Those rankings will most likely change next week.
Mayfield has won three straight CIF titles.
"It was great for the girls to get the win and know they can take on anyone in the division," Chadwick coach Mike Cass said.
And the keys to the breakthrough win for Chadwick?
"We minimized our errors and stayed more composed than in other matches," Cass said. "It's dawning on them that they are a good team. If they just go out and play hard the right things will happen."
Abbe Holtz had 11 kills, Zoe Hamilton had nine kils, Lizzie Yates had 27 digs, Corinne Hemmersbach had 17 assists and 12 digs and Sarah Lucinti had eight assists and five aces to help Chadwick's cause.

Due to the heavy rainstorms in the Torrance area, the Daily Breeze suffered a power outage that knocked out electricity and phone service to its building for much of Friday night. The Breeze apologizes to those coaches and scorekeepers who were trying to call in their game scores. We appreciate your patience in this situation. We tried to reach as many of you directly as we could.

Rainouts
Coaches and administrators, if your school had a competition rained out Friday, please inform us about the rescheduled date at sports@dailybreeze.com.