Girls’ Volleyball: Torrance tournament

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South Bay-area volleyball teams and fans are gathering today at Torrance High for a special night of competition and community.

The Torrance Challenge, a triple-header that will include a match between West Torrance and El Segundo at 3 p.m., another involving Redondo and North Torrance at 5 p.m. and a Pioneer League match between Torrance and South Torrance at 7:30 p.m., will take place at Torrance and be highlighted by the jersey retirment of one of the Tartars’ greatest athletes.

Kim Blankinship, a former three-sport star who earned 12 varsity letters at Torrance, was a two-time All-Southern Section selection in volleyball, soccer and track, and went on to play volleyball at Loyola Marymount. She died suddenly of heart failure on Oct. 16, 2006, two days after her 31st birthday.

Her No. 14 jersey will be retired in a ceremony before the match between Torrance and South Torrance.

Loyola Marymount, which, even before her death, had selected Blankinship for induction into its Hall of Fame in January, earned three West Coast Conference women’s volleyball titles and three NCAA tournament berths during her career with the Lions from 1993-96.

- Lauren Peterson