Two Big 8, Two SCC South teams come through In women's volleyball regional finals
3C2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
Eight teams punched their tickets to the 3C2A State Championship Tournament with victories in the Women's Volleyball Regional Finals on Saturday.
Of that group are American River and Sierra Colleges, the Big 8 Conference co-champions, and Long Beach City and Cerritos, the South Coast South Division co-champs.
It's the first time Cerritos advanced to state since 1994.
The other big story was LA Mission making it to state for the first time in its brief history in the sport behind a stirring 5-set win over Orange Coast.
San Diego Mesa returns to the tourney with a 4-set win over Mt. San Antonio to defend its 2023 state title.
In the North, it's same as usual for three regular visitors to state as American River, top seed Fresno City, and Feather River all took care of business with victories.
Here are recaps on the Regional Finals:
SOUTH
No. 1 Long Beach 3, #8 Palomar 1, 25-17, 21-25, 25-17, 26-24: The Vikings (23-1) make their first trip to state in 24 years with a 4-set triumph over the Comets (19-6). LBCC's ninth consecutive win featured Hadassah Odeyale landing eight kills (.315), Danika Iosua seven kills (.352), and libero Kaylani Moncada defending 19 digs. For Palomar, the defense was led by Cadence Young with 20 digs, Janell Spires picked up 12, and Delina Becker added 10. Emma Bambe served three aces.
No. 2 San Diego Mesa 3, #7 Mt. San Antonio 1, 22-25, 25-17, 25-8, 25-16: The Olympians (25-1) are determined to go for a second straight state title after rallying from a set down to defeat the Mounties (20-8) in four. In winning its 16th straight match, Mesa was paced by Halen Kiefer's double-double on 13 kills and 11 digs. Bella Town floored 12 kills (hit .321), Jaiden Mojica set 39 assists and served four aces, and Eva Luna tallied eight kills, five aces and nine digs. Mt. SAC was one of three South Coast Conference teams to make it to the four regional finals. Mt. San Antonio was paced this season by All-South Region selection Jordyn Romano.
No. 4 LA Mission 3, #5 Orange Coast 2, 25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-10: The Eagles (27-4) came back from down 2-1 to win in five, the seventh time this season that they went the distance in a match (3-4 in those contests), over the Pirates (24-3). OCC saw its 14-match win streak snapped in being eliminated. All three of Orange Coast's losses this year occurred in five, also falling v. Long Beach and Riverside CC. The fourth set was a nailbiter for both teams that saw OCC take a 6-2 lead, then 18-17 on a Brianna Bowman kill. The Pirates' Nika Safavi's ninth kill of the set was the last of 12 ties at 21-21. Mission then ran off four straight points capped by Rio Sandaiji's kill to send the match to the deciding fifth. The Eagles took over with an 8-0 spurt including two kills by Tawnie Ohrt. who later spiked one more for match point. For LAM, Taylor Boone put on a show at setting with a season-high 55 assists as well as 13 digs and five kills. Oluwatoyin Sunday ripped 20 kills, Ohrt slammed 18 kills, and Amya Cheatham January scored 13 kills (.360) and was a fort at the net with six blocks.
No. 6 Cerritos 3, #14 San Bernardino Valley 0, 25-15, 25-17, 25-11: The Falcons will make their first state tourney appearance in 30 years after ending the Wolverines Cinderella playoff run in a sweep. Sydney May again led the way for Cerritos (20-3) as she totaled 11 kills, 15 set assists, and spun an impressive seven aces. Another stalwart was Monserrat Rodriguez with 10 kills (hit .500), eight digs, and three aces while Jasmine Soto-Castro added nine kills. Priscilla Castillo made 18 digs. For SBVC (19-8), a team that posted playoff victories over #19 Riverside and an upset of #3 Moorpark, the community college career of the Mamea twins finished with Manaia scoring 15 kills with 11 digs and Loleaulelei with 11 kills and eight digs. Christina Muller added 24 assists and 10 digs. Cerritos hit .305 as a team.
NORTH
No. 1 Fresno City 3, #9 Merced 0, 25-16, 25-11, 25-14: The Rams (28-4) will take a 21-match win streak into the state tourney, it's fifth trip in the past six going back to 2018, behind the team's third sweep of fellow Central Valley Conference foe, the Blue Devils (20-7). Merced's lone state tourney appearance was in 1980. For Fresno, Jayla Iverson was a machine with 10 kills in only 14 swings (.714) plus four blocks, Ashlan VanGronigen scored 10 kills (.308), and Phoebe Constable tallied five kills and 12 digs. For Merced, Priscilla Barnett made six kills and two blocks and Mylah Steverson contributed 16 assists.
No. 2 American River 3, #10 Shasta 0, 25-18, 25-15, 25-21: The Beavers (27-4) won their 12th in a row and continue their amazing streak of state tourney trips, now at six consecutive dating back to 2018, by sweeping the Knights (27-9). ARC once again relied on the powerful swing of Morgan Castaneda, who floored 17 kills (.429) with 12 digs and two blocks. Amiah Cornejo added 11 kills, Kyla Powell eight kills, and the setter duo of Sophia MacPherson (26) and Kaylynn Whitt (19, plus two aces) combined for 46 assists. Other important players for American River were Cady Hatch (13 digs) and Ellie Basquez, who solid serving on 19 attempts with two aces. For Shasta, which set school record for wins in a season, Emerie Brown scored seven kills (.400) with eight digs while Madelyn Frick was limited to just six kills as her state record for kills in a season stands at 692. Whitney King totaled 15 digs.
No. 6 Feather River 3, #3 San Joaquin Delta 1, 13-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-21: The Golden Eagles (28-7) advance to the state tourney for the sixth time in the last seven events in four sets over the Mustangs (26-5), who couldn't maintain after dominating the first game. On a 9-match win string, FRC had swept SJD to win the Delta Classic earlier in the year and its lower seed was not indicative of the closeness of the two North Region powers. Lucy Ryan hammered 11 kills, Chloe Albiez had 10 kills with three blocks and two aces, and Maya Cann handed out 22 assists wiht 11 digs and three aces. Ane Tuinauvai contributed 10 digs, five blocks, and three aces and Tiare Faupula five blocks and three kills. For Delta, a team that was ranked #1 in the state for most of the regular season before injuries affected their rotation, Caprisa Brock delivered one last triple-double on 10 kills, 19 assists, and 10 digs (and three blocks), Kyra Saiers passed at 2.47 with 30 digs, Chase Silva knocked down 12 kills, and Soleil Sands added seven kills and four blocks.
No. 4 Sierra 3, #5 Taft 0, 25-12, 25-15, 25-21: The Wolverines (27-5) make their first trip to the state tourney since 2016 behind a sweep over the Cougars, one of three CVC teams that made it to the regional finals. For Sierra, Jordyn Deter put on a showtime effort by dishing out 29 assists, making 13 digs, dropping in seven kills and even serving an ace for match point. Taylor Stolz scored 10 kills and four blocks, Paige Skinner added nine kills and nine digs, Claire Johnson contributed eight digs and three aces, and Molly Flower made 11 digs and two aces. Grace Witcher finished fifth in the state in kills as a resurgent Taft season ends.
Release by Robert Lewis, CCCWVCA SID