Mater Dei’s girls volleyball team improved significantly this week.
Monday was the final day of the girls volleyball sit-out period. CIF Southern Section high school student-athletes who transferred are granted immediate athletic eligibility if they make a verified change of residence. Transfers who did not make the residence change must sit out the first 30 days of their sport’s season before becoming eligible; the sit out period varies by sport because different sports start their seasons on different dates.
Outside hitter Westley Matavao was All-Orange County first team last season as a freshman when she was at Orange Lutheran. She was the only non-senior on the All-County first team. She transferred to Mater Dei over the summer.
Mater Dei has done well without Matavao. Two weeks ago the Monarchs advanced to the championship match of the prestigious Dave Mohs Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. They lost to Cathedral Catholic of San Diego in the Mohs final.
Junior outside hitter Layli Ostovar, All-County second team last year, has been Mater Dei’s go-to player for points. The addition of Matavao will make defending very much more difficult for Monarchs opponents.
CIF-SS RANKINGS
The CIF Southern Section on Tuesday released its first playoff rankings for the girls volleyball season. The rankings are constructed by a power-points profile system. They will be used at the end of the regular season to place teams in CIF-SS playoff divisions.
Last year’s Division 1 playoffs was an eight-team group divided into two four-team pools, with Pool A and Pool B winners meeting in the Division 1 final. The size of any divisional bracket will be determined at the end of the regular season.
If Division 1 again is an eight-team group, and if Tuesday’s rankings were the final regular-season rankings, those eight teams would be, in order of this week’s ranking: 1. Sierra Canyon; 2. Huntington Beach; 3. Mira Costa; 4. Redondo; 5. Mater Dei; 6. Marymount of Los Angeles; 7. Los Alamitos; 8. Oaks Christian.
The rankings will be updated and released every Tuesday through Oct. 15. Playoffs begin Oct. 23 and 24.
DURANGO TOURNAMENT
The Durango Fall Classic is Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas. The 64-team tournament, in its 29th year, as usual has attracted great teams.
Prestonwood Christian of Plano, Texas, the No. 1 team in MaxPreps.com’s national rankings, is in the Durango Tournament. Orange County teams in it are Foothill, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos and Mater Dei.
CIF-SS teams in the tournament include Marymount, Mira Costa, Oaks Christian, Redondo and Sierra Canyon. Cathedral Catholic, the CIF San Diego Section’s top team, is in it.
NOTES
Esperanza won the Bronze Division of the La Jolla Beach Classic on Saturday. The Aztecs beat La Habra and Santa Fe Christian during the tournament. Newport Harbor finished second in the tournament’s Silver Division. …
In the Buena Park Coyote Tournament, Brea Olinda defeated Santa Ana in the Gold Division final, Ocean View was the Silver Division champion. …
Santa Margarita advanced to the final of the Bellflower Gahr Tournament in which the Eagles lost to Sierra Canyon. …
Coming up on the county girls volleyball schedule: Corona del Mar at Huntington Beach, in the Sunset League on Wednesday; JSerra at Santa Margarita in the Trinity League on Monday; and on Sept. 26 in the Trinity League it will be JSerra at Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei at Santa Margarita.
