Girls’ volleyball: Big Thursday matchups
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Los Alamitos, the defending Division I girls’ volleyball state champion, and Mira Costa, the defending Division II state champion, met on the Mustangs’ home court Thursday night, and Mira Costa (3-0) prevailed, 25-12, 25-17, 25-23, behind the efforts of Lane Carico, who had 12 kills, nine digs and a block, and Stevi Robinson, a Pepperdine-bound senior transfer from 2006 Central Section Division I runner-up Bakersfield Stockdale, who had 11 kills and 10 digs.
This was a matchup of two of the true heavyweights of their sport, the Griffins (12-2) having won three state titles in the last four years, while Mira Costa having claimed two consecutive Division II state titles and six overall.
Both teams have new coaches and fewer high-profile players this season, but both programs’ cupboards are far from bare and their rankings reflect that.
Los Alamitos is third in the Southern Section Division I-AA coaches’ poll, behind only top-ranked Mira Costa and No. 2 Redondo. The Mustangs are ranked No. 2 in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com, which lists Los Alamitos at No. 15.
The other volleyball match to watch involved Redondo (5-1), the only team to defeat Mira Costa last season, in the Southern Section Division I-AA final match, and Marymount, the defending Division IV state champion.
Redondo is at No. 11 in the PrepVolleyball.com rankings, but Marymount (1-2), which began the season at No. 7 nationally but fell out those rankings this week after dropping matches to Los Alamitos and Mira Costa, knocked off the Seahawaks, 25-18, 19-25, 25-19, 16-25, 15-11, in a nonleague match at Marymount. Take a moment and read all about it.
The victory came just in time to remind everyone that the Sailors are no slouches, having won six Division IV state titles themselves. They simply seek out the best competition available, and, in their first two matches, paid the price for daring to challenge the top dogs.
- Lauren Peterson