Volleyball Titles Come Down to Final Matches

At least a share of four league titles are at stake as the girls’ volleyball regular season ends tonight and Friday.

The Freeway and Pacific Coast races are the most intriguing, but still to be settled are the Golden West and South Coast leagues.

La Habra (14-1, 9-0) plays at Sonora (11-2, 8-1) at 6 tonight, and with a victory would wrap up its sixth consecutive Freeway League title. The Highlanders, ranked No. 1 in Southern Section Division II-A, are led by outside hitter Keao Burdine and setter/opposite Amanda Siler.

Sonora, ranked ninth, is led by outside hitter Worthy Lien, who had 25 kills in Tuesday’s five-game victory over Sunny Hills, and senior setter Laura Siapin. The Raiders were swept by La Habra in their first meeting this season.

Each team has earned one of the league’s three automatic berths into the playoffs.

Unranked Laguna Beach (12-3, 9-0) and University (13-6, 8-1) meet for the Pacific Coast League title at 6 tonight at University. The Artists, led by senior outside hitter Kristen Gunderson, rallied to win the fifth game of their first match, 15-12. University outside hitter Katie Brandt had 25 kills in the loss.

The top three finishers in each league are guaranteed a playoff spot in one of the section’s 10 enrollment-based divisions. Teams with an overall record of .500 or better may apply for at-large consideration.

With the section set to release playoff pairings Sunday, here’s a look at the county’s league races:

Academy: St. Margaret’s (14-0, 10-0), ranked No. 1 in Division V-AA, won its second consecutive league title despite losing its top outside hitter, junior Allison Bendush, because of a knee injury in September. Connolly (8-3 in league) also has earned a playoff spot.

Century: Converting Danielle Bauer from middle blocker to outside hitter worked wonders for league champion Foothill (12-3, 9-0).

Empire: Kennedy’s sweep of El Dorado Tuesday secured a playoff spot for the unranked Fighting Irish (12-4, 6-3); however, it took much of the luster off tonight’s Cypress match at El Dorado (11-4, 7-2). As a result, Cypress (11-3, 9-0) won its sixth title in the last nine years.

Freeway: La Habra and Sonora have qualified for the playoffs. Sunny Hills (11-9, 5-4) battled Sonora to the wire in a five-game loss Tuesday, but limps into the playoffs without junior outside hitter Stevie Nicholas, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week.

Garden Grove: La Quinta (14-1, 11-0), behind the setting of Tina Nguyen, has secured its eighth league title under Coach Larry James, who began the program 21 years ago. Bolsa Grande (15-3, 10-2) will finish second and Pacifica (7-6, 7-4) third.

Golden West: Defending Division III state champion Ocean View (11-2, 7-1), led by setter Tracy Lindquist, hosts Saddleback Friday. The Seahawks split with Rosary (10-4, 7-1), which plays at Santa Ana on Friday. Tustin is shooting for third.

Olympic: Cerritos Valley Christian (25-0, 12-0), the top-ranked team in Division IV-AA and the only team to beat Newport Harbor this season, has won the league title. Calvary Chapel (13-2, 10-2), led by outside hitters Kelly Overby and T.J. Gause, has locked up second place and also the playoff’s second seeding behind Valley Christian. In September, Valley Christian took a best-of-three match, which does not count on its overall record, from Newport Harbor to win the David Mohs Invitational tournament.

Orange: Anaheim (15-6, 5-4) will make the playoffs despite being swept Tuesday by league champion Valencia (13-2, 9-0). The Tigers, led by outside hitter Katie Eatherton, are ranked fifth in Division II-A and have won the last 10 league titles. Western (10-5, 7-2) also qualifies.

Pacific Coast: Besides Laguna Beach and University qualifying, Laguna Hills (10-5, 5-4) will finish third and earn a playoff berth.

Sea View: Coach Dan Glenn had to get on complacent Newport Harbor (17-0, 9-0), the top-ranked team in Division I-AA, after it dropped the second game of a four-game victory at home against Irvine (10-5, 5-5) Tuesday. The Sailors may have let down after winning the prestigious Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions last week. Santa Margarita (8-4, 6-3), state Division III runner-up last year, should get the No. 3 seeding in Division II-AA. Corona del Mar (8-7, 5-4), which plays at Newport Harbor tonight, likely has the No. 3 seeding in Division III-A wrapped up. Corona del Mar won the Division III-AA title a year ago. Irvine has played everyone tough, and could also be headed for postseason play.

South Coast: Mater Dei (10-3, 8-1), ranked No. 1 in Division II-AA, and Capistrano Valley (16-1, 8-1), ranked third in Division I-AA, are tied for first. Both have qualified for playoff berths, as has San Clemente (8-6, 6-3), which hosts Capistrano Valley tonight. Last week, Mater Dei dealt Capistrano Valley (8-6, 6-3) a five-game loss. The Monarchs play Trabuco Hills (0-9 in league) tonight at Los Caballeros.

Sunset: Despite dropping to six players early in the season because of injuries and illness, defending state Division I champion Marina (13-1, 9-0) recovered to secure its first outright league title in 15 years. The Vikings are second-seeded in Division I-A behind Simi Valley Royal, which won in three games over Marina at the Mohs Invitational. Esperanza (10-5, 6-3) is fifth-ranked in Division I-AA. After a slow start, Huntington Beach (9-8, 6-3) rallied behind the setting of Amber McCarthy to finish third.