Mater Dei’s girls volleyball team is No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section’s combined rankings for Divisions 1 and 2. Beckman is No. 1 in Division 3.
No. 1 in Division 4 is Capistrano Valley Christian, which might have the best chance of any Orange County team to win a CIF-SS volleyball championship when the playoffs begin in two weeks.
Capistrano Valley was 21-3 overall and 8-0 in the San Joaquin League going into its league match Thursday against Fairmont Prep. Capistrano Valley Christian has swept in three sets all of its league matches.
The Eagles are not one of the taller teams in Orange County. Kenna Henjum, a 5-foot-7 senior outside hitter, says the team has been very good at making the most of what it has.
“Our strongest asset and the way we beat other teams are our serving and our defense,” she said “We’re passing super well and we don’t let the ball hit the ground. We’re not a tall team so we have to rely on our defense and our serving.”
Henjum was All-CIF Southern Section last year when the Eagles advanced to the CIF-SS Division 5 semifinals in which they lost to eventual champion Buckley. They lost in the Division 7 finals two years ago.
Senior setter Addison Williams was All-CIF last year. Williams has 288 assists, second on the team to junior setter Shauna McDowell’s 354 assists. Senior libero Camille Solovjev has a team-high 320 service aces, junior opposite hitter Ava Nilsson has 143 kills, second to Henjum’s 238.
Capistrano Valley Christian has climbed from Division 7 to Division 4 in three years because the CIF-SS competitive equity system will do that to successful teams.
Eagles coach Kelle Bond said the team is ready for the Division 4 challenge, and not just because this is another skillful Capistrano Valley Christian team.
“They’ve approached it with grit and dedication,” Bond said. “The sacrifice and leadership of our seniors has been pretty contagious. This group of senior girls, most of them have been…
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