We’ve got a Playoff Notebook coming at ya. Can ya handle it?
Playing on in the playoffs
The intensity and excitement of playoff volleyball is either in progress or on the verge in every Section of the state. Let’s look quickly at some highlights, starting in the north and working our way down.
Northern Section
North Section-ranked Pleasant Valley has made it to the Div. 2 final. The Vikings swept a semifinal from Shasta behind 38 assists and 11 digs from Grace Ferro and 13 kills and 14 digs from Sadie Moore. PV will take on Foothill of Palo Cedro for the title on Nov. 4.
Orland, led by sophomore middle Lillianna Rowe, is into the Division 3 championship match, opposite West Valley, the No. 1 seed, which swept Yreka.
In Div. 4, University Prep used 30 kills and 10 digs from Amiah Cornejo and 32 digs from Maddux Rossman to get by Colusa for a spot in the finals. The Panthers will take on the winner of Pierce and top-seeded Willows, a match scheduled for Tuesday on Halloween.
Oakland Section
It appears that Skyline and Oakland Tech, in that order, have qualified for the NorCal Regionals. Skyline defeated Tech when they played, 3-1, to take the Oakland Athletic League title with a 7-0 record. The Titans represented the section in the CIF State finals in Div. V two years ago.
Sac-Joaquin Section
All divisions are down to semifinalists after play on Thursday.
In Div. 1, Rocklin reached the final four by defeating Pleasant Grove in four sets. The Thunder trailed most of the first set and had two set points against, before eeking out the 28-26 win. Rocklin took the second set with strong serving, dropped the third, then went on a 3-0 run to open the fourth set and held on to take the match.
OH Addy Scheitlin had a strong match for the Thunder, with a team-high 12 kills, plus five aces and seven digs.
The other three semifinalists are all ranked in the top 10 in the North Region. St. Mary’s of Stockton and Oak Ridge advanced in sweeps, while Folsom downed tough Pitman in four sets, despite 42 assists and 19 digs from the Pride’s Payton Rowell.
In Div. 2, hot Granite Bay dropped the first set to Woodcreek before winning out. Lodi got five kills, five blocks, and three aces from Norah Mayer in a sweep of West Park. Roseville took town El Capitan of Merced and Rio Americano escaped Vacaville in four behind 50 assists from senior setter Grace Stone and 19 kills from Emilie Thoresen.
In Div. 3, top-seeded Christian Brothers has made it through to the semis. The Falcons faced a potential trap game in the quarterfinals versus Ponderosa but stayed focused and swept.
“We got off to a really fast start and dictated the tempo of the match,” said coach James Todd. “We served really tough and kept Pondo out of system, which really played into our strengths.”
Brothers got nice offensive balance, thanks to the setting of Grace Carollo and the hitting of Simone Huarte, Sydney Wallin, Kemyah Harris, and Faith Rabb-Patterson. Defensively, Elia Constancio led the team in digs and covered her hitters well.
Ripon and Ripon Christian lead a quartet into the Div. 4 semis.
North Coast Section
Quarterfinals are on tap tomorrow in all divisions.
Amador Valley/Monte Vista is the most intriguing of the four matches in Div. 1. AV holds a 2-0 season edge over the Mustangs.
State-ranked Marin Catholic versus James Logan also bears watching. Logan has won A LOT of matches this year and always takes the court ready to fight.
In Div. 2, two old-guard powers, Campolindo and Carondelet, will face off for the first time this year to determine one spot in the quarterfinals. Barring major upsets, the victor of that match is expected to be joined by state-ranked Branson and Redwood of Larkspur, as well as North Region-ranked Windsor.
In Div. 3, top-seeded Tamalpais and defending state Div. III champion Archie Williams are among those favored to make the final four.
San Francisco Section
Playoffs start tonight with two quarterfinals to determine the teams that will play opposite the top seeds, Balboa and North Region-ranked Lowell.
Central Coast Section
Pairings came out yesterday in the CCS playoffs.
The eight-team Open Division, which begins play on Saturday, features state-ranked Saint Francis of Mountain View and Archbishop Mitty as the top two seeds. Two other state-ranked teams, Sacred Heart Prep and Saint Ignatius, meet in a first-round match. Sacred Heart Prep is 2-0 in competitive matches versus the Wildcats this year.
Salinas is the top-seeded team in Div. 1, though third-seeded Branham may be the team to beat. Aragon should be the clear favorite in Div. 2, while both Div. 3 and 4 should be hotly contested. Burlingame is the top seed in Div. 3, but should face a challenge from Sacred Heart Cathedral; while Carmel, the top seed in Div. 4, will have to fend off hot Harbor and Mercy Burlingame, as well as tough Notre Dame Belmont, to emerge with the crown.
Central Section
Buchanan, the top seed in Div. I, exacted revenge on Clovis with a 3-0 win in a quarterfinal last night. Grace Goudy had nine kills and five aces and Sammie Aaron and Kalli Sanchez teamed for 21 additional kills in the Bears’ win.
Second-seeded San Luis Obispo overcame a slow start to sweep Redwood of Visalia. Junior OH Ava Van Brasch had a nice match for the Tigers. Liberty of Bakersfield made the semis with a tight, four-set win over Clovis North, which, last year, played for the state title in Div. II. Liberty, the defending Central Section D-I champs, got a huge 25 kills from sophomore Eliya Dev in the win. Clovis West, which was the top-ranked team in the Section for much of the year, also advanced with a straight-set win over Central Valley Christian.
Stockdale, Bakersfield Christian, Centennial of Bakersfield, and hot Exeter Union all made the semifinals in Div. II. Kingsburg and Sanger lead a quartet into the Div. III semis.
Southern Section
Two rounds of pool play in the eight-team Div. 1 playoffs are complete. Four teams have been eliminated from contention for the title.
In Pool A, Mater Dei, the state’s top-ranked team is 2-0 and in the driver’s seat to make the final. The Monarchs make it, regardless of the outcome of their match on Saturday versus 1-1 Sierra Canyon, if 1-1 Marymount defeats 0-2 Palos Verdes. Should PV get that win, however, Sierra Canyon, the defending Div. 1 champions, would be in line to repeat with an upset win over Mater Dei.
Pool B is much less complicated. Both Mira Costa and Huntington Beach are 2-0. Saturday’s winner makes the championship match.
In Div. 2, all four quarterfinals were very competitive. Top-seeded Redondo Union, getting a dozen kills each from Addy Benefield and Abby Zimmerman, dispatched Oaks Christian in four sets; as did Orange Lutheran over Edison of Huntington Beach.
Long Beach Wilson made the final four by outlasting Newport Harbor in five sets. Freshman Ella Olson had 31 kills in the loss.
JSerra also needed five to get by La Cañada, 15-13 in the fifth. Jessica Bates had 21 assists, 23 digs, eight kills, and three blocks for the victors. Katherine Nowak and Reese Brown teamed for 26 kills.
In Div. 3, state-ranked Beckman and Campbell Hall won their way into the semifinals. They will be joined by Canyon of Anaheim and South Torrance, which defeated Pasadena Poly and Long Beach Poly in consecutive matches. [Poly, incidentally, means “many” in Latin. South beat poly Polys, you could say].
Sarah Hom and Emma Rowell had big games in South’s sweep of Long Beach Poly.
In Div. 4, top-seeded West Ranch had made the semifinals, along with El Dorado of Placentia, Sunny Hills, and Capistrano Valley Christian. Kayla Taylor had 21 kills and 16 digs in Sunny Hills’ sweep of Windward; while Mikenna Henjum and Bella Lee combined for 24 kills, 35 digs, and seven aces in Capo Valley Christian’s win over Valley Christian of Cerritos.
Listen to this stat line for senior hitter Taylor Yu in top-seeded Temple City’s win over Ventura in a Div. 5 quarterfinal: 36 kills, 27 digs, and four aces. In a sweep! Outrageous! Yu is committed to Stanford University as a setter!
Also into the Div. 5 semifinals is Centennial of Corona, a team loaded with ultra-talented freshmen and sophomores. Sophomores Cydnee Bryant and McKenna Giles and freshmen Londyn Neal and Asia Udo-Ema keyed the Huskies’ most recent win over Northwood.
Los Angeles City Section
The eight-team Open Section is down to the top four seeds, Palisades, Taft, Venice, and El Camino Real, while the Div. I semifinals have two interlopers, seventh-seeded Bell and sixth-seeded Verdugo Hills, which boasts superstar senior middle Yahaira Vazquez. Poly of Sun Valley, which features seniors, Hannah and Heart Lising, also is in the semifinals.
San Diego Section
Torrey Pines advanced to the Open semis with a 3-1 win over San Marcos. The Falcons got huge efforts from freshman setter Emery Gonzales (40 assists and 14 digs), hitters Finn Krytkowiak and Layla Williams (40 kills and 32 digs, combined), and senior defenders Mai Plsek and Sienna Sabotta.
Westview and top-seeded Central Catholic also advanced, as did Bishop’s, which shut down Otay Ranch, 3-0, in the first meeting this year between the schools.
In Div. I, all the higher-seeded teams advanced, led by El Capitan of Lakeside, which got big-hitting efforts from outsides Madelyn Wutzke and Madison Triplett and MB Savannah Simpson. Sage Creek dropped Game 1 to La Jolla Country Day, 25-23, before winning the second, 25-4, on its way to the four-set win.
In Div. II, Helix, and Pacific Ridge, the top two seeds, won their first-round matches. Nicole Patterson had 17 kills, nine digs, and six aces and Calista Lowery added 41 assists and 11 digs in Pacific Ridge’s win.
In our midst
Bob Hillman once was famous for playing volleyball at Stanford. These days he is head coach at University HS of San Francisco AND an accomplished singer/songwriter.
Did you know that San Francisco University high school coach Bob Hillman has a parallel career as a singer/songwriter? He has released seven albums and toured the U.S. and Europe, including prestigious venues like the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, and the Newport Folk Festival.
In his early 2000s "heyday," he worked extensively as the opening act for Suzanne Vega and also supported folk-rock icons like Todd Snider and Dave Alvin. His next recording, a collaboration with legendary slide guitarist Greg Leisz, will be released on November 17, which is also the first day of the CIF State Championships. The one after that leans toward power pop and is anchored by Elvis Costello & the Attractions drummer Pete Thomas.
News and notes…
Newport Harbor freshman Ella Olson doubled down in round 2 of the Southern Section Div. 2 playoffs. After getting 34 kills in a first-round win over Chaminade, she added 30 kills in the win over Santa Margarita Catholic.
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Foothill of Pleasanton won its league tournament thanks to come-from-behind five-set wins over Monte Vista in the semifinal and San Ramon Valley in the championship. The Falcons, who were led by setter Katie Salonga and OH Paige Bennett, have won 30 consecutive matches…
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Jizelle Castellanos prepares to jump serve another ace for Indian Springs, which had a breakout season in 2023 thanks in part to the junior's tremendous work behind the service line.
For the first time in school history, Indian Springs not only made it to the Southern Section playoffs, the Coyotes won a playoff match! Hosting Pacific Lutheran in Division 9, Indian Springs lost their first two sets before winning the next three to reverse sweep to the win. Jizelle Castellanos had 12 aces and 17 digs in the win. The Coyotes lost their next match to top-seeded Rosemead to end their season, but finished with 14 wins, 11 more than the three they had all of 2022…
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Mammoth won the High Desert League championship again in 2023. The Huskies are 38-0 in league play over the past three seasons…
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Pitman’s varsity squad is a musically talented bunch, with two players playing violin, one playing guitar, and one playing clarinet. One of Pitman’s co-coaches is big on TikTok with almost 50,000 followers and 6.1 million likes.
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It’s not only about volleyball at Windsor HS. Senior Sydney Parlato is involved in high school rodeo, competing in barrel racing and pole bending with her horse, Ella. Junior Kendall Pell has been running cross country during volleyball season. She is a starter for the North Region-ranked Jaguars and is currently ranked second on the cross-country team!
As for head coach Christen Hamilton, apparently, 26.2 miles isn’t nearly enough. She just finished first ultra-marathon this last weekend, a 55-kilometer jaunt (over 34 miles).
She jokes that she wasn’t the fastest, but she crossed the finish line in high spirits while the sun was still up.
Surprising Seniors
We asked coaches a few weeks back to tell us about their “Surprising Seniors,” those players in their final high school campaign only rising to prominence this fall.
We received one more…
Ritka Gartner's ascension from the JV and productivity as an undersized middle makes her an "unsung senior"
Rika Gartner, 5-5 MB, Liberty Charter – Gartner was selected for the JV to start the season, but was added to the varsity because of her “positive attitude and a kind, helpful and refreshing spirit.” “I just knew she was a great fit for the varsity squad,” said coach Kelli Olson. Olson was right, in that Gartner averaged 8-10 blocks and kills per match all season long, aided by a genuinely impressive hang time.
Stat stars
We continue to compile astounding single-game statistical achievements! We will keep a running tally of players who stat at these levels for a single match:
50 assists or more in a match
30 kills or more in a match
30 digs or more in a match
8 blocks or more in a match
10 aces or more in a match
Here’s what we have so far…
50 assists in a match
65 -- Rebecca Woodward, 5-8 Jr. S, Bakersfield Christian – Oct. 12 v. Garces Memorial
61 -- Katie Salonga, 5-7 Sr. S, Foothill (Pleasanton) – Sept. 19 v. Amador Valley
56 – Althea Morris, 5-10 Sr. S, Campbell Hall – Sept. 7 v. Chaminade
55 -- Drue Coberly, 5-5 Sr. S, Newport Harbor – Sept. 15 v. Edison
51 – Dani Sparks, 5-6 Sr. S, Huntington Beach – Oct. 18 v. Alemany
50 -- Lauren Reiter, 5-7 Jr. S, Redlands – Aug. 22 v. Serrano
50 – Sade Ilawole, 5-2 Sr. S, Sierra Canyon – Oct. 5 v. Alemany
50 -- Isabelle Anderson, 5-10 Soph. S, Oakwood – Oct. 16 v. Anzar
50 – Grace Stone, 5-9 Sr. S, Rio Americano – Oct. 26 v. Vacaville
30 kills in a match
41 – Taylor Yu, 6-0 Sr. OH, Temple City – Oct. 21 v. Valencia
39 – Taylor Yu, 6-0 Sr. OH, Temple City – Oct. 19 v. Woodbridge
37 – Izzy Watson, 5-10 Soph. OH, Thomas Downey – Oct. 11 v. Gregori
36 – Taylor Yu, 6-0 Sr. OH, Temple City – Oct. 25 v. Ventura
35 – Sadie Proctor, 5-11 Jr. OH, Coronado – Sept. 28 v. Mission Bay
34 – Ella Olson, 5-9 Fr. OH, Newport Harbor – Oct. 19 v. Chaminade
33 -- Keonahi'ilani Solaita, 5-9 Jr. OH, Oak Hills – Aug. 30 v. Barstow
31 -- Julia Tolstova, 5-11 Sr. OH, Redlands – Aug. 22 v. Serrano
31 – Ella Olson, 5-9 Fr. OH, Newport Harbor – Oct. 25 v. Poly (Long Beach)
30 – Ella Olson, 5-9 Fr. OH, Newport Harbor – Oct. 21 v. Santa Margarita Catholic
30 -- Amiah Cornejo, 5-11 Sr. OH, University Preparatory School (Redding) – Sept. 27 v. Colusa
30 -- Amiah Cornejo, 5-11 Sr. OH, University Preparatory School (Redding) – Oct. 26 v. Colusa
30 – Westley Matavao, 6-0 Fr. OH, Orange Lutheran – Sept. 5 v. Ontario Christian
30 -- Eliana Urzua, 6-2 Jr. OH, Bishop Diego – Sept. 21 v. Foothill Tech
30 -- Amy Herman, 6-1 Sr. OH, Bakersfield Christian – Oct. 12 v. Garces Memorial
30 digs in a match
56 -- Maddux Rossman, 5-5 Jr. libero, University Preparatory School (Redding) – Sept. 27 v. Colusa
37 – Maddux Rossman, 5-5 Jr. libero, University Prep (Redding) – Oct. 5 v. Yreka
36 -- Kendyll Winn, 5-6 Jr., Mountain View – Oct. 10 v. Los Gatos
35 – Mishelle Dominguez, 5-7 Jr. OH, Sultana – Sept. 27 v. Serrano
34 – Annika Ramirez, 5-5 Sr. OH, Bullard – Sept. 21 v. Sanger
33 -- Kendyll Winn, 5-6 Jr., Mountain View – Sept. 11 v. Monta Vista
33 – Jaedyn Houston, 5-7 Jr. libero, Orange Lutheran – Oct. 3 v. Santa Margarita Catholic
33 -- McKenna Giles, 5-4 Soph. libero, Centennial (Corona) – Sept. 5 v. Temescal Canyon
33 -- Rylie Ronk, 5-5 Soph. libero, Bakersfield Christian – Oct. 12 v. Garces Memorial
32 -- McKenna Giles, 5-4 Soph. libero, Centennial (Corona) – Aug. 17 v. Chaparral
32 -- Kassidy Conway, 5-9 Sr. S, University Prep (Redding) – Oct. 5 v. Yreka
32 – Ellie Yeates, 5-7 Jr. libero, Woodcreek – Oct. 10 v. Inderkum
32 -- Maddux Rossman, 5-5 Jr. libero, University Preparatory School (Redding) – Oct. 26 v. Colusa
31 -- McKenna Giles, 5-4 Soph. libero, Centennial (Corona) – Oct. 2 v. Norco
31 -- Olivia Lorenzana, 5-1 Sr. libero, Otay Ranch – Aug. 29 v. Helix
30 -- Kendyll Winn, 5-6 Jr., Mountain View – Oct. 3 v. Monta Vista
8 blocks in a match
11 – Emery Tubbs, 6-1 Jr., Santiago (Corona) – Sept. 20 v. King
10 – Manaia Ogbechie, 6-3 Jr. MB, Oaks Christian – Sept. 28 v. Thousand Oaks
9 -- Zoe Gaa, 6-1 Sr. MB, Newport Harbor – Sept. 23 v. Hart
9 – Daisy Manako, 5-9 Sr. MB, Santa Cruz – Sept. 14 v. Soquel
10 aces in a match
16 -- Jizelle Castellanos, 5-6 Jr. OH, Indian Springs – Aug. 28 v. Enterprise
16 – Jaden Cardoso, 5-6 Jr. S, Pomona Catholic – Sept. 5 v. San Gabriel Mission
14 – Ella Gutierrez, 5-6 Jr. S, Oakwood – Sept. 19 v. Trinity
12 -- Jizelle Castellanos, 5-6 Jr. OH, Indian Springs – Aug. 14 v. Bloomington
12 -- Keely Hummel, 5-10 Sr. S, St. Mary’s (Stockton) – Sept. 26 v. Tokay
12 -- Jizelle Castellanos, 5-6 Jr. OH, Indian Springs – Sept. 14 v. Pacific
12 – Nina Hemsley, 5-11 Jr. OH/MB, Etiwanda – Oct. 12 v. Los Osos
12 -- Isabelle Anderson, 5-10 Soph. S, Oakwood – Aug. 22 v. Greenfield
12 -- Jizelle Castellanos, 5-6 Jr. OH, Indian Springs – Oct. 19 v. Pacific Lutheran
11 – Sophia Gomes, 5-9 Sr. OH, Oakwood – Sept. 15 v. Kirby
11 – Alexa Pomeroy, 5-11 Jr. OH, Pomona Catholic – Oct. 11 v. St. Mary’s Academy (Inglewood)
10 -- Jizelle Castellanos, 5-6 Jr. OH, Indian Springs – Aug. 17 v. Public Safety Academy
10 -- Kelsy Garcia, 5-2 Sr. DS, Eagle Rock – Sept. 27 v. Wilson (Los Angeles)
10-- Arielle Arca, 5-3 Jr. DS/OH, Southlands Christian School – Aug. 24 v. Calvary Baptist
10 -- Gwen Chenoweth, 5-7 Jr. S, Santa Barbara – Sept. 14 v. Ventura
10 -- Sofia Yang, 5-2 Sr. libero, Southlands Christian Schoool – Aug. 24 v. Calvary Baptist
Season-long stat stars
This week, I asked coaches on our bulk email list to help me identify our season-long stat stars: those players who have reached or exceeded these thresholds for the 2023 fall season. Note: the thresholds might go up if overpopulated.
Kills -- 250 or more
Assists -- 500 or more
Digs -- 250 or more
Blocks -- 60 or more
Aces -- 75 or more
Any coaches may email jtawa@cifstate.org to add to the list at any time.
Here’s what we have so far:
Kills (250 or more)
480 – Leila Ballard, 5-10 Jr. OH, Saugus
471 -- Eliana Urzua, 6-2 Jr. OH, Bishop Diego
467 – Ximena Cordero, 5-10 Sr. OH, Otay Ranch
462 – Taylor Yu, 6-0 Sr. OH, Temple City
456 – Kendall Beshear, 6-0 Sr. OH, Palos Verdes
447 – Mackenzie Parsons, 6-2 Sr. MB, Poway
436 -- Mila Mijailovic, 5-10 Sr. OH, Campbell Hall
413 – Cleo Hardin, 6-4 Sr. OH, Menlo School
398 – Ashby Zubchevich, 6-1 Jr. OH, La Canada
388 – Nicole Patton, 6-0 Sr. OH, Pacific Ridge
385 -- Amy Herman, 6-1 Sr. OH, Bakersfield Christian
384 -- Taylor Boyce, 5-11 Sr. OH, Windsor
384 – Haley Clark, 5-11 Sr. OH, La Canada
381 – Taylor Williams, 6-2 Sr. OH, Saint Francis (Mountain View)
377 -- Julia Tolstova, 5-11 Sr. OH, Redlands
377 -- Madison Triplett, 5-9 Sr. OH, El Capitan (Lakeside)
375 – Kayla Taylor, 5-9 Sr. OH, Sunny Hills
373 – Finn Krystkowiak, 6-4 Soph. OH, Torrey Pines
368 – Camden Bolane, 6-2 Sr. OH, Pacific Ridge
367 -- Fallyn Blotzer, 6-1 Jr. MB, Santiago (Corona)
365 – Westley Matavao, 6-0 Fr. OH, Orange Lutheran
365 – Lillinoe Spencer, 6-1 Sr. OH, Central Valley Christian
364 – Audrey Flanagan, 6-1 Soph. OH, Mira Costa
358 – Jordan Vander Veen, 5-9 Sr. OH, Ripon Christian
356 -- Simone Huarte, 6-1 Soph. OH, Christian Brothers
352 -- Annika Ramirez, 5-5 Sr. OH, Bullard
347 – Andrea Torres, 5-10 Sr. RS, Otay Ranch
346 – Keonahi’Ilana Solaita, 5-10 Jr. OH, Oak Hills (Hesperia)
345 – Lauren Parker, 6-2 Jr. OH, Turlock
343 – Erin Curtis, 6-0 Sr. OH, Saint Francis (Mountain View)
339 -- Haven Rich, 5-8 Sr. OH, Exeter Union
327 -- Asia Udo-Ema, 6-0 Fr. OH, Centennial (Corona)
320 -- Taylor Rice, 5-10 Jr. OH, Woodcreek
296 – Kennedy Cutler, 5-6 Sr. OH, Redwood (Visalia)
293 -- Sandie Souza, 5-10 Fr. OH, Hillcrest (Riverside)
287 -- Kylie Yen, 6-0 Sr. OH, Palo Alto
285 -- Vienna Perier, 5-9 Jr. S/RS, Stockdale
284 -- Ava Van Brasch, 5-9 Jr. OH, San Luis Obispo
279 -- Isabel Clark, 6-0 Sr. OH, Mater Dei
275 – Ashlyn Guenter, 5-10 Sr. RS, Redwood (Visalia)
275 -- Sophie Shonauer, 5-5 Sr. OH, Stockdale
265 -- Lilli Saldivar, 6-2 Soph. OH, Woodcreek
262 -- Megan Hair, 5-7 Jr. OH, Bakersfield Christian
256 --Saniyah Sobers, 5-6 Jr. OH, Redlands
256 -- Madelyn Wutzke, 6-0 Jr. OH, El Capitan (Lakeside)
254 -- Layli Ostovar, 5-11 Soph. OH, Mater Dei
254 -- Kinnari Atluru, 6-1 Sr. OH, University (San Francisco)
253 -- Cymarah Gordon, 6-1 Sr. RS, Mater Dei
253 – Layla Williams, 5-11 Sr. OH, Torrey Pines
Assists (500 or more)
1,072 – Payton Rowell, 5-6 Sr. S, Pitman
942 -- Lily Kautai, 5-9 Jr. S, Menlo School
910 -- Rebecca Woodward, 5-8 Jr. S, Bakersfield Christian
883 – Hannah McGuire, 5-10 Sr. S, Saint Francis (Mountain View)
878 -- Thea Morris, 5-10 Sr. S, Campbell Hall
858 – Calista Lowery, 5-7 Soph. S, Pacific Ridge
856 – Sade Ilawole, 5-2 Sr. S, Sierra Canyon
846 – Morgan Guardado, 5-8 jr. S, Saugus
841 -- Morgan Weststeyn, 6-2 Sr. S, Ripon Christian
837 – Maya Baker, 5-9 Jr. S, Archbishop Mitty
823 -- Jocelyn Bennitt, 5-6 Soph. S, Bullard
799 -- Julia Kakkis, 6-0 Sr. S/RS, Mater Dei
770 -- Avery Barber, 5-10 Sr. S, Exeter Union
761 – Keely Hummel, 5-10 Sr. S, St. Mary’s (Stockton)
743 – Ruby Ennis, 5-9 Sr. S, El Capitan (Lakeside)
729 -- Brielle Galli, 5-9 Jr. S, Windsor
708 -- Sophie Miles, 5-8 Jr. S, Palo Alto
703 – Laela Burgess, 5-7 Jr. S, San Luis Obispo
681 – Kiki Remensperger, 5-9 Sr. S, Poway
675 -- Londyn Neal, 5-7 Fr. S, Centennial (Corona)
645 – Emery Gonzales, 5-9 Fr. S, Torrey Pines
610 -- Lauren Reiter, 5-9 Jr. S, Redlands
604 -- Grace Carollo, 5-9 Jr. S, Christian Brothers
604 -- Madeline Le Francois, 5-9 Sr. S, Mammoth
602 -- Jayla Johnson, 5-10 Sr. S, Santiago (Corona)
591 – Audrey Hyde, 5-10 Sr. RS/S, Redwood (Visalia)
551 – Antonia Wilson, 5-10 Sr. S, Santa Cruz
549 – Emmy Sandgren, 6-1 Fr. S, Tamalpais
519 – Toni Devito, 5-4 Soph. S, Yosemite
504 – Marley Robinson, 5-7 Fr. S, Orange Lutheran
Digs (250 or more)
470 – Havani Embry, 5-4 Soph. libero, Poway
459 – Devyn Castaneda, 5-6 Sr. libero, Redwood (Visalia)
457 – Julianna Bondoc, 5-4 Sr. libero, James Logan
448 – Kendyll Winn, 5-5 Jr. libero, Mountain View
425 – Taylor Deckert, 5-8 Jr. libero, Mira Costa
424 – Sophia Neeley, 5-5 Sr. OH, Yosemite
421 -- Payton Mossbarger, 5-7 Sr. libero, JSerra
414 -- Malyssa Cawa, 5-6 Sr. libero, Mater Dei
413 -- McKenna Giles, 5-4 Soph. libero, Centennial (Corona)
407 -- Annika Ramirez, 5-5 Sr. OH, Bullard
391 – Sienna Sabotta, 5-3 Sr. libero, Torrey Pines
376 -- Madison Liedecke, 5-5 Sr. libero, El Capitan (Lakeside)
370 -- Megan Hair, 5-7 Jr. OH, Bakersfield Christian
369 -- Ellie Yeates, 5-7 Jr. libero, Woodcreek
361 -- Carly Hogg, 5-5 Sr. libero, Stockdale
354 – Whitney Wallace, 5-8 Sr. libero, Saint Francis (Mountain View)
345 – Cooper Piepgrass, 5-6 Soph. libero, Exeter Union
344 -- Sophie Shonauer, 5-5 Sr. OH, Stockdale
336 -- Rebecca Woodward, 5-8 Jr. S, Bakersfield Christian
328 -- Bella Marrero, 5-7 Sr. libero, Campbell Hall
323 – Ruby Ennis, 5-9 Sr. S, El Capitan (Lakeside)
322 -- Ava Reyes, 5-8 Soph. libero, Redlands
320 – Rylie Ronk, 5-5 Soph. libero, Bakersfield Christian
316 -- JuJu Sio, 5-1 Fr. Libero, Moreno Valley
316 -- Hannah Li, 5-5 Sr. libero, Northwood (Irvine)
313 -- Vienna Perier, 5-9 Jr. S/RS, Stockdale
304 -- Saniyah Sobers, 5-6 Jr. OH, Redlands
303 -- Madison Triplett, 5-9 Sr. OH, El Capitan (Lakeside)
300 -- Sydney Wallin , 6-0 Jr. OH, Christian Brothers
292 -- Ella Lamanuzzi, 5-4 Sr. libero, Bullard
290 -- Jizelle Castellanos, 5-6 Jr. OH, Indian Springs
288 -- Jenna Lynch, 5-6 Sr. libero, Mammoth
283 – Jaedyn Houston, 5-7 Jr. libero, Orange Lutheran
281 –Malia Parsons, 5-9 Sr. libero/OH, Tamalpais
278 -- Ava Wang, 5-4 Soph. libero, Menlo School
277 -- Victoria Solis, 5-3 Jr. libero, Indian Springs
274 -- Taylor Rice, 5-10 Jr. OH, Woodcreek
270 -- Haven Rich, 5-8 Sr. OH, Exeter Union
269 -- Brinkley Funkhouser, Jr. OH, Stockdale
268 -- Venus Bush, 5-8 Sr. S, Moreno Valley
264 – Alina Perales, 5-1 Jr. libero, Etiwanda
262 – Audrey Hyde, 5-10 Sr. RS/S, Redwood (Visalia)
259 – Kennedy Cutler, 5-6 Sr. OH, Redwood (Visalia)
259 – Liz Jung, 5-6 Soph. OH, Northwood (Irvine)
258 – Tessa Hurley, 5-7 Sr. DS, Mater Dei
257 -- Sierra Starkman, 5-7 Sr. OH, Campbell Hall
254 -- Jocelyn Bennitt, 5-6 Soph. S, Bullard
253 -- Mia Licon, 6-1 Jr. OH, Moreno Valley
252 – Camden Bolane, 6-2 Sr. OH, Pacific Ridge
Blocks (60 or more)
120 – Emery Tubbs, 6-1 Jr. MB, Santiago (Corona)
86 – Bryn Shankle, 6-4 Sr. MB, Mira Costa
82 – Emma Kingston, 6-4 Fr. MB, Mater Dei
82 – Mackenzie Parsons, 6-2 Sr. MB, Poway
77 -- Naama Green, 6-0 Jr. MB, Palo Alto
76 -- Tamia Hardwick, 6-1 Jr. MB, Moreno Valley
74 – Ella Fulton, 6-1 Soph. MB, Saint Francis (Mountain View)
64 – Andee May, 5-10 Soph. MB, Redwood (Visalia)
62 – Rachel Moglia, 6-0 Sr. MB, Mira Costa
Aces (75 or more)
205 – Samantha Donlucas, Soph. S, Lincoln (San Diego)
136 -- Jizelle Castellanos, 5-6 Jr. OH, Indian Springs
122 – Leah Van Wyngarden, 5-8 Sr. OH/libero, Ripon Christian
116 -- Faith Di Mola, 5-11 Sr. OH, Excelsior Charter
100 -- Rebecca Woodward, 5-8 Jr. S, Bakersfield Christian
83 -- Venus Bush, 5-8 Sr. S, Moreno Valley
81 -- Annika Ramirez, 5-5 Sr. OH, Bullard
77 -- Elia Constancio, 5-5 Sr. libero, Christian Brothers
75 -- Joy Lee, 5-8 Sr. S, Beckman
75 -- Sydney Wallin, 6-0 Jr. OH, Christian Brothers
College-Bound!
In this space, we list those players, playing California high school volleyball in the current senior class and younger, who have made a commitment to attend a college or university of their choice and play volleyball. To date, we have 102 such players. Congrats! That’s a big number, but surely there are more! Please email jtawa@cifstate.org to add players to the list, using the format you see below, or to make any corrections.
Tea Abischer, 5-10 Sr. MB, San Luis Obispo – UC Davis (Beach)
Maya Baker, 5-9 Jr. S, Archbishop Mitty – Notre Dame
Jessie Bates, 5-11 Sr. S/RS, JSerra – UC Irvine
Addy Benefield, 6-0 Sr. OH, Redondo Union -- Boise State
Paige Bennett, 6-0 Sr. OH, Foothill (Pleasanton) -- Winthrop
Kendall Beshear, 5-11 Sr. OH, Palos Verdes – Cal Poly SLO
Fallyn Blotzer, 6-1 Jr. OH, Santiago (Corona) – Cincinnati
Camden Bolane, 6-2 Sr. MB/OH, Pacific Ridge – Yale
Monika Brinlee, 5-11 Sr. MB, Lowell (San Francisco) - - University of Chicago
Reagan Brumfield, 5-5 Sr. libero, Justin Siena – University of Michigan-Dearborn
Laela Burgess, 5-7 Jr. S, San Luis Obispo - UC Davis
Katrina Catalan, 5-8 Sr. S, Vista Murrieta -- UCSB
Malyssa Cawa, 5-6 Sr. libero, Mater Dei -- Stanford
Isabel Clark, 6-0 Sr. OH, Mater Dei -- USD
Madison Clark, 6-0 Sr. MB, Redondo Union – UC Riverside
Madi Collins, 5-9 Sr. S, Redondo Union -- Long Beach State
Addison Collum, 5-11 Sr. OH, Kennedy (La Palma) – Arkansas State
Katelyn Cook, 5-10 Sr. OH, Archbishop Mitty -- Fairfield
Ximena Cordero, 5-10 Sr. OH, Otay Ranch – UC Davis
Dakota Conway, 5-8 Sr. DS, Cathedral Catholic -- FIU
Amiah Cornejo, 5-10 Sr. OH, University Prep (Redding) – Concordia-Irvine
Erin Curtis, 6-0 Sr. OH, Saint Francis (Mountain View) – North Carolina
Tessa de Albergaria, 5-10 Sr. libero/DS, Santa Barbara – George Washington
Taylor Deckert, 5-9 Sr. libero, Mira Costa -- USC
Gabby Destler, 6-1 Sr. OH, Marymount – Loyola Marymount
Kate Duffey, 6-0 Sr. S, Ventura – UCLA
Niki Egan, 5-8 Sr. DS, Cathedral Catholic – Washington (Beach)
Bella Ehrlich, 6-2, Jr. MB, Carondelet High School- Boston College
Jade Epps, 6-0 Sr. OH, Lakewood – San Jose State
Kate Fagundes, 5-5 Sr. libero, Oak Ridge – Vanguard University
Kyla Firestone, 5-8 Sr. S, Alemany -- Loyola Marymount University
Elena Fisher, 5-11 Jr. OH, Branson – Stanford (Beach)
Helena Foord, 5-10 Sr. OH, South Pasadena -- NYU
Reese Fraser, 5-10 Sr. S, Archie Williams – UC Davis (Beach)
Meghan Freck, 5-7 Sr. S/DS, Huntington Beach – UC Davis (Beach)
Charlie Fuerbringer, 5-11 Sr. S, Mira Costa – Wisconsin
Giselle Gallegos, 5-10 Sr. OH, Redondo Union -- Tulane (Beach)
Jenna Garner, 6-0 Sr. OH, South Pasadena -- Penn
Cymarah Gordon, 6-1 Sr. RS, Mater Dei -- Michigan
Gwen Grigsby, 5-3 Sr. libero, Harbor – Cal State Bakersfield (Beach)
Megan Hair, 5-8 Jr. OH, Bakersfield Christian - University of South Florida (Beach)
Jenna Hanes, 6-3 Sr. MB, Cathedral Catholic -- Michigan
Brooke Hansen, 6-0 Sr. S/RS, Etiwanda – Cal Poly SLO
Anna Hanson, 5-11 Sr. RS, Justin Siena – St. Mary’s College
Cleo Hardin, 6-3 Sr. RS, Menlo – Yale
Jaden Hendrickson, 5-11, Sr., Redwood High School- Cal Poly, SLO
Victoria Henkel, 6-0 Sr. OH, Redondo Union – LSU (Beach)
Kaia Herweg, 5-8 Sr. S/OH, Los Alamitos – Grand Canyon
Abby Hoybjerg, 6-2 Sr. MB, Oak Ridge – BYU
Mikayla Hsieh, 510 Sr. S/RS, Flintridge Sacred Heart – Pomona-Pitzer
Keely Hummel, 5-10 Sr. S, St. Mary’s (Stockton) – Fresno State
Audrey Hyde, 5-10 Sr. RS/S, Redwood (Visalia) – Westmont College
Chloe Hynes, 6-1 Sr. RS, Mira Costa -- NYU
Kayla Johnson, 5-11 Sr. OH, Pleasant Valley – Utah (Beach)
Madison Johnson, 6-3 Jr. OH, Chaparral -- UCSD
Tatum Johnson, 6-0 Sr. MB, JSerra -- Colorado
Sadie Jeffrey, 6-0 Sr. OH, Santa Cruz – Cal Poly SLO (Beach)
Julia Kakkis, 6-0 Sr. S/RS, Mater Dei -- Brown
Charlotte Kelly, 6-3 Jr. MB, Amador Valley – Cal Poly SLO
Sienna Kennedy, 5-11, Sr., Redwood High School- Fordham University
Brooklyn Kostoff, 5-7 Sr. S, Santa Margarita Catholic – Azusa Pacific
Amiya Kuchibhotia, 6-1 Sr. MB, Archbishop Mitty -- NYU
Mallory Labreche, 5-11 Jr. RS. Palos Verdes – UCLA (Beach)
Molly Labreche, 5-7 Jr. libero, Palos Verdes – LSU (Beach)
Hayley LaFontaine, 6-0 Sr. OH, Huntington Beach – Cal Poly SLO (Beach)
Quinn Loper, 6-1 Jr. OH, San Clemente -- USC
Lauren Lynch, 5-6 Jr. libero, Sierra Canyon – San Diego
Isabella Marrero, 5-6 Sr. libero, Campbell Hall - American University
Kate Martin, 5-10 Sr. OH, Marymount -- UCSB
Trixie McMillin, 5-6 Sr. libero, Mira Costa – Cal
Grace Mcqoid, 6-0 Sr. OH, Foothill (Palo Cedro) – Vanguard University
Mila Mijailovic, 5-10 Sr. OH/DS, Campbell Hall – Yale
Mackenzie Miller, 5-11 Sr. OH, Redondo Union -- USC (Beach)
Elon Milroy, 6-0 Sr. MB, Los Alamitos – San Jose State (Beach)
Ayva Moi, 5-11 Jr. RS, Cathedral Catholic – Hawaii (Beach)
Althea Morris, 5-9 Jr. S, Campbell Hall – St. Edward’s University
Sadie Moore, 5-11 Sr. RS, Pleasant Valley – Arizona (Beach)
Noa Nuez, 5-8 Sr. libero, Los Alamitos – Georgia State (Beach)
Manaia Ogbechie, 6-3 Jr. MB Oaks Christian -- Northwestern
Ayva Ostovar, 5-6 Jr.. S, Mater Dei -- UCSB
Kennedy Osunsanmi, 6-2 Sr. RS, West Ranch – UCLA
Malia Parsons, 5-9 Sr. libero/OH, Tamalpais – St. Olaf College
McKenzie Parsons, 6-2 Sr. MB, Poway -- Cornell
Nicole Patton, 6-0 Sr. OH, Pacific Ridge - Marist College
Summer Pederson, 5-7 Sr. libero, Santa Cruz – Concordia- Irvine
Taylor Ponchak, 6-2 Jr. RS, Huntington Beach – Stanford (Beach)
Faith Rabb-Patterson, 6-2 Sr. MB, Christian Brothers – UC Davis
Danica Rach, 6-2 Sr. OH, Sierra Canyon -- Boston College
Mauriana Rayford, 5-9 Sr. OH, Chaparral – Lamar University
Stacy Reeves, 5-8 Sr. libero, Beckman – TCU (Beach)
Charlotte Reff, 5-11 Sr. S, Buckley School – NYU
Kiki Remensperger, 5-9 Sr. S, Poway – South Carolina (Beach)
Maggie Rhew, 5-8 Jr. S, Oaks Christian - Montana State
Amanda Saeger, 5-11 Sr. S, Cathedral Catholic – DePaul
Tmukisa Sagiao, 5-9 Sr. RS, Helix Charter – Cal State San Bernardino
Katie Salonga, 5-7 Sr. S, Foothill (Pleasanton) – Colorado
Nicole Schuetz, 6-3 Jr. RS/MB, Santa Barbara – Loyola Marymount
Bryn Shankle, 6-4 Sr. MB, Mira Costa -- TCU
Sarah Shaw, 6-2 Jr. MB, La Reina – Brown
Reagan Shields, 5-10 Sr. OH, Santa Margarita Catholic – Oregon State
Katelyn Sicklick, 5-11 Sr., MB/RS, Redwood (Larkspur) - Denison University
Sadie Snipes, 6-0 Sr. OH, Branson – Santa Clara (Beach)
Saniyah Sobers, 5-6 Jr. libero, Redlands – Santa Clara
Dani Sparks, 5-7 Sr. S, Huntington Beach – Cal Poly SLO (Beach)
Birdie Stone, 5-11 Sr. OH, San Juan Hills -- Montana
Cayla Sutton, 5-10 Jr. RS, Clovis North -- Stetson University (Beach)
Kayla Taylor, 5-9 Sr. OH, Sunny Hills – Dennison University
Zaria Thornton, 6-0 Sr. MB, Lakewood – Oregon State
Anaya Thrower, 6-4 Sr. OH, Vanden -- Oregon
Taylor Treahy, 6-1 Sr. RS, Sierra Canyon -- George Washington
Madison Triplett, 5-9 Sr. OH, El Capitan (Lakeside) -- UCSB
Victoria Turner, 5-7 Sr. S, Beckman -- UCSD
Logan Tusher, 5-11 Sr. S, Branson - Stanford (Beach)
Eliana Urzua, 6-3 Jr. OH, Bishop Diego -- UCLA
Miliani Villareal, 5-9 Sr. libero, Vista Murrieta – Sacred Heart University
Alana Villela, 6-1 Sr. MB, California High School – University of Portland\
Madeline Way, 6-2 Sr. MB, Sierra Canyon -- Hawaii
Elle Weaver, 5-10 Sr. OH, Oak Ridge -- Brown
Dylan Whisenant, 5-4 Sr. DS, Branson – Tufts University
Sofia Williams, 5-9 Sr. OH, San Clemente -- Yale
Taylor Williams, 6-2 Sr. OH, Saint Francis (Mountain View) -- Duke
Sophia Winter, 5-10 Sr. RS, Pleasant Valley – Arizona (Beach)
Preslie Yates, 6-1 Sr. MB, Berkeley High School – Long Beach State University
Taylor Yu, 6-0 Sr. S, Temple City -- Stanford
Ava Zamora, 5-10 Jr. S/RS, Westview – Stony Brook
Ashby Zubchevich, 6-0 Jr. OH, La Canada – Duke
Be back next week with more news and notes on volleyball in the Golden State…