Good Things Come in 3s : Trio of All-CIF Spikers Lead No.1-Ranked Mira Costa Girls Team

Most volleyball coaches consider themselves lucky to have one All-CIF player on their team. Imagine how Dae Lea Aldrich feels. Aldrich, the girls’ volleyball coach at Mira Costa High, has three returning All-CIF players.

Said Aldrich, now in her eighth year at Mira Costa: “The kids will be real strong, we should have a really good season.”

“Really good” is where the predictions start. The Mustangs are the No. 1-ranked team in the country, according to USA Today, and the No. 1-ranked team in the CIF. They are also the best team in the South Bay.

“Mira Costa is in a different league,” South Torrance Coach Moira Fagan said. And she wasn’t talking about the Ocean League, which South happens to play in.

“They are going to be awesome,” St. Bernard Coach Jeff Richmond said of Mira Costa.

Aldrich won’t take any bows, however, until the season is over: “It’s a nice thing reputation-wise, but a prediction doesn’t make you No. 1. Nothing really matters until the end. What matters is what you do on the court.”

The Mustangs definitely have the horses; all six starters are back from a Southern Section 5-A Division semifinal team that lost to eventual champion Irvine.

Leading the All-CIF pack is 6-foot-1 Kristal Attwood, one of the top five blockers in the nation, according to Aldrich. Senior Piper Hahn, the smallest Mira Costa player at 5-7, was All-CIF last year as a setter. Aldrich said Hahn will be the most prized setter in the country. The final All-CIF returner is middle blocker Heidi Eick, coming off an excellent off-season in club play.

The talent doesn’t stop there. Junior setter Robin Ortgiesen (5-11) is another returning starter. Aldrich expects major contributions from outside hitters Cindy DeGarceau, a junior, and seniors Erika Lawson and Rainy Chrisman. Mira Costa’s back-court specialists are Cori Davis and Jen Streatfield. Setter Amy Banachowski adds valuable experience.

The Ocean League champs play a tough non-league schedule. “Tournaments are important to us,” Aldrich said. “We don’t get the opportunity to consistently play tough teams like in the Sea View League.”

The Sea View League has some of the top teams in the state--Corona del Mar, Irvine and Woodbridge. On Sept. 22, Mira Costa travels to the Corona del Mar Tournament, and then north for the Santa Barbara tournament on Oct. 4. The Mustangs could meet Corona del Mar, Santa Barbara and Woodbridge at those tournaments.

Aldrich stops short of being cocky, but allows herself to be confident: “We’re proud of what we have here, we work real hard to fulfill our expectations.”

Other teams to watch in the South Bay:

Mira Costa will be challenged immediately by Bishop Montgomery. The Lady Knights may not have the power to beat the Mustangs, but don’t be surprised if they win the tough Angelus League again. Last year, Coach Kim Willeman took the Knights to their first league title in five years. This year they’ll look to senior standouts Beth Callahan and Jennifer Haney to lead them past Angelus foes Mater Dei and Sevite. Callahan and Haney are middle blockers, and will be aided by Elizabeth Nauuluau, a junior.

Setter Danielle Roman will pace the offense, as she sets outside hitter Anna Thomas. The Knights play a tough preseason schedule. Tonight, they play Mira Costa, then they face Palisades, followed by Long Beach Millikan. Then it’s the long road trips and tough teams of the Angelus League. “We never play any easy games,” Willeman said. “But it will make us stronger.”

Assistant Coach Tim Ittner of Torrance expects his thin but experienced all-senior team to challenge for a playoff spot in the Bay League if not repeat their league championship. South Merrit, a 5-10 setter and outside hitter, returns to lead the Spartans, along with 5-10 outside hitter Heather Koenig. Three-year varsity player Kristi Blankenship is a tough middle blocker. Sue McCrea returns as a forceful outside hitter.

This year they’ll fight for the league title with Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. “It’s wide open,” Ittner said.

Head Coach Moira Fagan of South Torrance has not missed the playoffs in her first two years at the school. This year she hopes to make it three in a row. Unfortunately for Fagan and her Spartans, they have one major roadblock in their way: Mira Costa. That makes it a battle for second or third place in the league, where the main competition will be Redondo and West Torrance.

Fagan’s young team doesn’t care what league it’s in, it just loves to play. Rachel Barmann, one of the few seniors on the team, “does everything for us” Fagan said. Barmann will spike, pass and set, probably to 5-9 Jennifer Hughes. Hughes was the team’s most valuable player in ’88 and an all-league performer as a freshman. Senior Maria Steenburgh will be the team’s back-court specialist. She’ll pass to sophomore Sandy Rhodes, another top setter for the Spartans.

The St. Bernard Vikings have missed the playoffs two years in a row after a string of seven consecutive post-season appearances, but first-year Coach Jeff Richmond plans to bring the Vikings back. Richmond hopes his team can crack the top three of the Camino Real League, where ’88 1-A champion St. Anthony and Miraleste are the top teams. Richmond’s players have not fully adjusted to his system--the Vikings are 1-1 in the preseason--but they have been practicing twice a day to prepare for the season, even though school started two weeks ago.

Senior Michelle Dick, 5-11, is a returning All-Camino Real League selection at middle blocker. Senior setter Karin Jinbo was also all-league last year. All-league as a sophomore but injured early last year, 5-9 Suzanne Bartch returns for her senior season at right outside hitter. “I’ve never seen anybody recover from knee surgery so quickly,” Richmond said. Bartch’s sister, Shannon, and Deneen Angwin are young players expected to contribute.

All six starters were lost from a Rolling Hills team that missed the playoffs by one win in ’88. Replacing them are a legion of young Titans. “We’re a big team, but not height-wise,” Coach David Woodruff said.

Sophomore setter Romi Greenbaum will pace the Titan offense, and she’ll set 5-8 sophomore outside hitter Renee Ward. Senior Lara Hanlon suffered a back injury recently, but should be back within two weeks at middle blocker. Sophomore Erica Hauersley, the tallest Titan at 5-11, will replace Hanlon. “We have so much young talent; we only have four seniors out of 13 girls,” Woodruff said. With a strong sophomore class, Rolling Hills might be two years away from a Bay League championship. One bright spot in the future is 5-11 transfer Beth Witton, who will have to wait a year to play varsity.

At Palos Verdes, Coach Jim Boyle hopes hard work will help the Sea Kings improve on a 6-8 record of a year ago. Senior setter Mayumi Noguchi will lead the offense, setting outstanding outside hitter Kaaren Iverson, one of the best athletes on the team. Palos Verdes has the luxury of having three good middle blockers: Katrina Stager, Molly Pobias and Lisa Humphries.

Boyle says the playoffs, though difficult to attain in the competitive Bay League, “are not completely out of our realm.”