SOUTHERN SECTION VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS : Instant Replay for Some Teams, a First for Others

The Laguna Beach girls’ volleyball team will make its first appearance in the Southern Section finals in 11 years tonight. El Toro and St. Margaret’s are in the finals for the first time.

But for La Habra and El Modena, it’s another year, another final and another rematch.

Unseeded Laguna Beach (21-2) will meet unseeded El Toro (18-3) in the Division 5-A championship match at 8:15 p.m. Matches in all six divisions will be played at Cerritos College.

Top-seeded and defending champion La Habra (20-2) will take a 17-match winning streak into its Division 3-A championship rematch with second-seeded El Modena (21-1) at 3:30 p.m. La Habra swept El Modena in the finals last year.

Unseeded St. Margaret’s (21-1) will meet second-seeded Cate (14-5) in the Small Schools Division finals at 11:30 a.m.

Laguna Beach is making its first trip to the finals since 1980, when the Artists lost to Mira Costa in the championship match. The Artists’ last section championship was in 1976.

El Toro earned its first championship berth after upsetting top-seeded and previously unbeaten Lakewood St. Joseph in Thursday’s semifinals. The Chargers have been to the semifinals three times in the last six years.

The championship final will be the second time Laguna Beach and El Toro have met. Laguna Beach defeated El Toro in a five-game, nonleague match earlier in the season.

Laguna Beach, which won the Orange County Championship in September, has fought off injuries to five starters to reach the finals.

Outside hitters Tori Scott and Rachel Wacholder have nursed shoulder injuries, middle blocker Jessica Wallace a knee injury, outside hitter Hillary Kyle a sore back and setter Shauna Shapiro a sore right wrist and jammed middle finger.

El Toro, the South Coast League co-champions with Capistrano Valley, features a balanced attack with outside hitters Jaime Smith, Kira Kneitel, setter Lesli Steinert and middle blockers Amanda Burrows and Amber Woodcock.

La Habra lost five starters from last year’s championship team, but returned Zrinka Kristich, a 6-foot-5 senior. El Modena returned five starters from last year, including middle blocker Marni Hichborn and setter Melizza Benitez.

St. Margaret’s, the Academy League champion, advanced to the finals by upsetting top-seeded Mammoth in the semifinals Thursday night. The Tartans are led by hitter Susie Teitsworth and setter Hilary Albers.