Southern Section Playoffs : GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL : Top-Seeded La Habra Looks to Extend Winning Streak

La Habra, the defending Southern Section and State Division II champion, is the top-seeded team in the section’s 3-A girls’ volleyball playoffs, which begin tonight.

The Highlanders (16-2), who have a 13-match winning streak, will play host to La Sierra in a first-round match at 7 p.m. Thursday. Wild-card matches in the 5-A, 3-A and 2-A divisions are at 7 tonight.

El Modena (17-1), last year’s 3-A runner-up to La Habra, is seeded second and Sunny Hills (13-3) is seeded third.

Mater Dei (16-4) is seeded second in Division 5-A, followed by third-seeded Capistrano Valley (19-4) and fourth-seeded Corona del Mar (10-4), the defending 5-A and State Division I champion.

Laguna Beach (18-2) is unseeded and will play host to the winner of the University-Dana Hills wild-card match. Newport Harbor (17-4) also is unseeded and will play Santa Margarita in a wild-card match.

El Toro (15-3) has one of the toughest 5-A draws, playing at Channel League champion Santa Barbara (13-1) in a first-round match. El Toro was the South Coast League co-champion with Capistrano Valley, but the Chargers lost a coin toss and became the league’s second-place entry.

Los Alamitos (12-2) is seeded fourth in Division 4-A. Capistrano Valley Christian (13-1) is top-seeded in Division 1-A, while Whittier Christian (13-2) is seeded third. Santa Ana Calvary Chapel (14-1) is seeded fourth in the Small Schools division.

The schedules for Orange County teams:

All matches at 7 p.m. unless noted

Tuesday

Wild-card matches

Division 5-A--Santa Margarita at Newport Harbor, Dana Hills at University, Costa Mesa at Redondo Union. Division 3-A--Fullerton at Pacifica, Canyon Springs at Orange. Division 2-A--Western at Mayfair.

Wednesday

First-round matches

Division 4-A--Paramount at Marina, Edison at Long Beach Poly, Inglewood at Los Alamitos, Cypress at Long Beach Wilson, Esperanza at Fountain Valley. Division 1-A--Northview at Capistrano Valley Christian, Connelly at South Hills, Mission at Whittier Christian, Orange Lutheran at Brentwood.

Thursday

First-round matches

Division 5-A--Estancia at Mira Costa, El Toro at Santa Barbara, winner of Thousand Oaks-Beverly Hills at Corona del Mar, winner of Costa Mesa-Redondo Union at Capistrano Valley, winner of Dana Hills-University at Laguna Beach, Ventura at Mater Dei. Division 3-A--La Sierra at La Habra, Kennedy at Foothill, Hacienda Heights Wilson at Sunny Hills, winner of Canyon Springs-Orange at La Quinta, San Gorgonio at El Modena. Division 2-A--Coachella Valley at Valencia, Arroyo at Brea-Olinda. Small Schools--winner of Laguna Blanca-Pioneer Baptist at St. Margaret’s, Thacher at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, Liberty Christian at Hillcrest Christian.