SOUTHERN SECTION VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP : Playing to Expectations, Edison Rolls

Dave Mohs has coached some outstanding Edison High girls’ volleyball teams, guiding the Chargers to the playoffs in each of his 10 seasons.

But this year’s team might be his best yet.

The top-seeded Chargers looked like it Saturday night, cruising to a 15-7, 15-10, 15-6 victory over unseeded El Modena in a Southern Section Division II second-round match at Edison.

The Chargers (21-1) advance to Tuesday night’s quarterfinals against unseeded Sunny Hills (17-1), a 15-2, 15-9, 15-1 winner over Paramount. El Modena ended the season 16-4.

Edison has never won a section title, reaching the finals in 1984 and the semifinals in 1988. But Mohs thinks this year’s team has the potential to win it all.

“Every team is different,” he said. “But I would say this team compares with my 1988 team in overall makeup. We have a big middle blocker (6-foot-4 Alicia Liniger), a great setter (Natasha Zila) and a great left-side hitter (Brooke Weaver).”

Mohs thought the Chargers were a little flat Saturday night, coming off a nine-day layoff, the result of a first-round bye.

“You don’t get any bonus money for being a top-seeded team,” Mohs said. “Sometimes, it can be the kiss of death. Look what happened to (second-seeded) Long Beach Poly, losing to Marina in the first round.”

Edison was in no mood to be upset Saturday night.

Liniger, who’s being recruited by several Division I colleges, including Stanford and USC, dominated the smaller Vanguards. She had 14 kills and two aces and kept El Modena’s hitting off-balance with her presence on the front row.

Weaver had 13 kills, and Zila added 30 assists, six kills and a block. Jill Butts had nine kills, all in the first two games.

The Chargers scored 11 of the final 13 points in the first game, eight of the last 12 in the second game, and capitalized on an 8-0 run in the third game.

El Modena junior Lynette Anderson finished with nine kills, and senior Sarena Syphers added five kills and five blocks, including four blocks that kept El Modena close in the second game.

Vanguard Coach Dale Flickinger said he was pleased with his team’s season, winning 80% of its matches with a lineup that included three juniors, a sophomore and two seniors.

In other Division II matches:

Huntington Beach 3, Foothill 1--Deana Itow had 18 kills as Huntington Beach (13-5) beat Foothill, 15-12, 15-10, 10-15, 15-5. The unseeded Oilers will meet third-seeded Cerritos Gahr in Tuesday night’s quarterfinals.

Sunny Hills 3, Paramount 0--Rachel Hochgesang had 14 kills to lead Sunny Hills (17-1) past Paramount (12-5), 15-2, 15-9, 15-1, in the second round.

Marina 3, Bell Gardens 1--Marcy Crouch had 21 kills to lead Marina (12-4), an at-large entry, past Bell Gardens (11-5), 15-5, 15-10, 11-15, 15-7.

Fountain Valley 3, Millikan 0--Gina Ybarra and Kristin Searcy each had 10 kills to lead Fountain Valley (12-6) over Millikan (12-4), 15-12, 15-4, 15-9.

Bishop Montgomery 3, Los Alamitos 1--Maria Bowden had 19 kills and Midori Bruel had 11 for host Los Alamitos in a 16-14, 15-11, 14-16, 15-13 loss. The Griffins finish 13-3.

In Division IV:

Valencia 3, Cajon 0--Brandy Smerko had 18 kills and five blocks to lead Valencia (15-3) to a 15-2, 15-5, 15-6 sweep of Cajon (17-4). The Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals to play La Canada.

In Division V volleyball

Capistrano Valley Christian 3, Palos Verdes Chadwick 0--Karen Benkovsky had 17 kills to help Capistrano Valley Christian (15-0) remain unbeaten with a 15-4, 15-3, 15-9 victory over Chadwick (10-7).

In Division VI:

St. Margaret’s 3, Hemet Baptist Christian 0--Emily Hallenbeck had nine kills for host St. Margaret’s (12-2), which won, 15-4, 15-13, 15-9. Top-seeded St. Margaret’s advanced to the quarterfinals to play Templeton.