Torrance High Girls Hopeful of Surviving Their Trip to Rim of the World : Volleyball playoffs: Top-seeded Tartars must travel to Big Bear High tonight for Division III semifinal match against 18-1 opponent.

The road to a possible Southern Section title gets longer for the Torrance High girls’ volleyball team today.

The top-seeded Tartars (19-0), who have yet to be challenged in three playoff matches, will play Rim of the World (18-1) in the Division III semifinals at 7 tonight at Big Bear High. Rim of the World, located at Lake Arrowhead, was awarded a home match at an alternate site because it has played one home playoff match compared to two for Torrance.

“If we survive the bus trip, I think we’ll be OK,” Torrance Coach John Radcliffe said.

The Tartars are among three South Bay teams playing into tonight’s semifinals. South Torrance (14-4), which finished second to Torrance in the Pioneer League, plays second-seeded Saugus (15-2) at Hart High in Newhall in the other Division III match. In Division II, Bishop Montgomery (14-3) meets Huntington Beach (14-5) at West Torrance High.

Torrance has won 49 consecutive games since Radcliffe and Brian Chartier took over coaching duties nearly a month into the season. The Tartars have swept all three of their playoff matches, beating host Alta Loma, 15-0, 15-2, 15-5, in the quarterfinals Tuesday night.

Torrance scored the first 26 points against Alta Loma before the Mt. Baldy League champions managed a point. Outside hitter Kim Blankinship led the Tartars with eight kills, middle blocker Tiffany Fujimoto added seven and setter-hitter Suzanne Radcliffe had five kills and 26 assists.

“We don’t want to rub it in or anything, but the girls are playing well,” Radcliffe said. “We expected a challenge (against Alta Loma), but we got off to a good start and played an almost perfect match.”

A victory tonight will put Torrance in a Southern Section final for the first time in school history. The Division III title match will be played at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Cerritos College.

The way South has been playing, the Division III final could turn into an All-Pioneer League affair. The Spartans have won nine of 10 games in three playoff matches, including a 7-15, 15-9, 15-9, 15-13 quarterfinal victory Tuesday over third-seeded and previously unbeaten Claremont. Outside hitter Nicole Odom led South with 22 kills.

Mission League runner-up Bishop Montgomery rallied from a two-games-to-one deficit and a 12-6 deficit in the fifth game to defeat host Marina of Huntington Beach, 15-8, 14-16, 15-17, 15-11, 15-13, Tuesday night in the Division II quarterfinals. Miya Malauulu, sister of Arizona quarterback and former Carson High standout George Malauulu, led the Knights with 15 kills.

If Bishop Montgomery wins tonight, it will play in the Division II final at 6:15 p.m. Saturday at Cerritos College. Sunny Hills of Fullerton (21-0), which upset top-seeded Edison on Tuesday, and Fountain Valley (13-6) meet in tonight’s other semifinal at La Habra High.

The Peninsula High girls’ tennis team, winner of 46 consecutive matches, will play host to Santa Barbara in the Division I semifinals at 2 p.m. today.

The top-seeded Panthers, who have won every match since Peninsula opened last year, improved to 22-0 Tuesday with a 15-3 playoff victory over El Toro. Leading singles players Amanda Augustus and Summer Redondo each swept their three matches.

Santa Barbara (15-3), runner-up to second-seeded San Marcos in the Channel League, advanced with a 11-7 victory over Santa Margarita.

The winner of today’s match will advance to the Division I final at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Claremont Club.

In today’s other semifinal involving an area team, second-seeded Chadwick (13-4) plays host to fourth-seeded San Luis Obispo (19-0) in a Division IV match. Each team advanced with a 12-6 victory Tuesday, Chadwick beating La Mirada and San Luis Obispo defeating Cate.

The Division IV final will be at noon Tuesday at the Claremont Club.