Girls’ Volleyball Titles to Be Decided

Two long-standing rivalries and the presence of a perennial champion highlight the girls’ volleyball championships in the City and Southern sections, which take place today and Saturday.

Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (29-3) and Newport Harbor (24-5) play for the Southern Section Division II-AA title at Cypress College at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Mira Costa defeated Newport Harbor twice this season, including in the championship match in August at the Ann Kang Memorial tournament in Honolulu. Both victories were in three games.

Newport Harbor had several injured players in Hawaii, and Mira Costa was experimenting with a young and inexperienced lineup, leading Coach Dan Glenn of Newport Harbor and Dea Lea Aldrich of Mira Costa to agree that Saturday’s match is not expected to be anything like the first two.

“I know it will be a battle with great volleyball,” Aldrich said. “Costa and Newport play the same style of volleyball and the team that makes the least amount of errors will win. It’s that simple.”

Newport Harbor, the defending section champion, has not defeated Mira Costa in more than four seasons and was swept by the Mustangs in the 2001 final. The Sailors are seeking their ninth section title since 1986.

Mira Costa, which suffered a bitter loss to Huntington Beach Marina in the 2002 Division I-A title match, has won 11 sections titles since 1972.

In the Division I-AA final at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Cypress College, defending champion Los Alamitos (24-8) tries for its third consecutive win this season over Sunset League foe Anaheim Esperanza (31-2). The teams shared the league title with Huntington Beach Edison and have survived periods without key players. An injured ankle has hobbled outside hitter Brittany Lowe of Esperanza, while Los Alamitos Coach Sue Monsoor has juggled her lineup several times because of players quitting and injuries.

Palisades (13-0) makes another return to the City Section championship match tonight at 8 at Occidental College against Granada Hills (15-1), which upset top-seeded Sylmar in the semifinals. The Invitational final between Verdugo Hills (13-3) and Chatsworth (8-8) starts at 5:30.

Paul McLeod

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Top-seeded Palisades will play defending-champion and second-seeded Granada Hillsfor the City Section girls’ tennis team title at 1 p.m. today at Balboa Sports Complex in Encino.

Palisades (14-0) defeated fourth-seeded North Hollywood, 4-3, in a semifinal Wednesday and is making its first appearance in a City Championship match since the Dolphins beat Granada Hills, 4-3, for the title in 1998.

The Dolphins, who have won 17 titles since 1975 and were finalists in 21 consecutive seasons from 1978-98, feature freshman No. 1 singles player Olivia Colman and the No. 1 doubles team of Cody Clark and Brittany O’Neil.

Granada Hills (11-1), which will be trying for its fifth title, has lost only in a nonleague match to West Hills Chaminade. The Highlanders routed Carson, 7-0, in the other semifinal.

The Highlanders, making their sixth consecutive final-match appearance and their 10th since 1975, won titles over Carson last season and in 1999. They defeated Palisades for the 1982 and ’83 championships. Granada Hills, which has exceptional depth, is led by senior No. 1 singles player Canna Furuta and junior No. 2 Maria Cardenas.

The City Invitational final between top-seeded Westchester (6-6) and No. 6-seeded Sylmar (7-6) will be played at the same time.

-- Lauren Peterson