Volleyball Tournament Forced to Change Sites

The Tournament of Champions girls’ volleyball tournament will start tonight, as planned. But it will not start at Edison High School, as planned.

Edison Coach Dave Mohs learned Thursday morning that power will be off at the school during tonight’s matches because a nearby transformer is being replaced.

Four matches scheduled for tonight will be played at Corona del Mar High instead, with the tournament moving back to Edison on Saturday.

“I’m hoping like heck the power’s back on,” Mohs said.

One thing Mohs won’t have to worry about is the competition.

All eight teams in the tournament made the Southern Section playoffs last year. Six of the top seven 5-A teams are participating. Only fourth-ranked Laguna Beach, which was committed to another tournament, is missing.

Mohs and Corona del Mar Coach Charlie Brande started the tournament because they wanted their teams to play more difficult competition in the preseason.

“We’ve played in the Orange tournament in the past,” Brande said. “Typically, it’d be a 5-A (team) versus a 2-A, and the 2-A would get beaten. We thought it wasn’t beneficial for either team.

“With six of the top seven teams competing, this will probably have a real bearing on seeding for (the playoffs),” Brande said.

In tonight’s matches, the top-ranked 5-A school, Mira Costa, plays Edison, which is ranked fourth in 4-A.

Newport Harbor, ranked seventh in 5-A, will face Woodbridge, ranked fifth in the same division.

Both matches are set to begin at 6 p.m.

At 8 p.m., Santa Barbara, ranked third in 5-A, will face Capistrano Valley, which is ranked sixth. Corona del Mar, ranked second in 5-A, will play unranked Long Beach Wilson.