Entering the final week of regular season play, Catholic school girls’ volleyball teams were seeking both league titles and favorable seedings in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs that begin next week.
The weekly Divisions 1 and 2 CIF-SS poll was unchanged with respect to the top four: Redondo Union, Marymount, Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon. Santa Margarita rejoined the top group in 16th; the divisions will be separated at playoff time.
La Salle remained second for the seventh straight week (behind Ontario Christian), and Notre Dame Academy was again eighth in Division 3. St. Anthony held on to fourth in D-4, while Chaminade remained fifth in D-5.
Mary Star dropped from third to fifth, and St. Bonaventure from sixth to seventh, in D-6; Sacred Heart inched up from sixth to fifth in D-7; and Bishop Diego climbed into tenth in D-8. Listed just outside the rankings are Bishop Montgomery (D-1&2); Providence of Burbank (D-6); Ramona Convent, St. Bernard and St. Monica Academy (D-8); and Santa Clara (D-9).
League play ends this week, playoff seedings will be announced Oct. 19, and playoff action begins Oct. 22.
Both Mater Dei and Marymount are assured of winning the Trinity and Mission League titles, respectively. Both are unbeaten in league play with one match remaining this week.
One of this week’s biggest matches takes place Oct. 16 in San Pedro, where the Camino Real League title is on the line. Bishop Amat (10-10 overall, 6-1 in league) takes on host Mary Star (28-3, 6-0), with the latter playing its final match Oct. 17 against Pomona Catholic.
Bishop Montgomery (22-5, 7-0) has clinched the Del Rey League crown with one match remaining. Second and third place teams La Salle (24-6, 5-2) and St. Anthony (24-8, 4-3) battle each other Oct. 16 in Long Beach.
The Sunshine League title is up for grabs, as league leader Notre Dame Academy (20-9, 7-1) plays Flintridge
Sacred Heart in non-league play, and Alemany (13-8, 6-1) hosts Chaminade (25-11, 4-3) on Oct. 16. And Sacred Heart (15-2, 10-0) has clinched the Horizon League crown.
Nationally, Mater Dei (26-4) and Marymount (29-3-1) are still third and fourth in this week’s Maxpreps’ Xcellent 25 survey, while Marymount is third and Mater Dei fifth in Maxpreps’ computer poll. Redondo Union (25-3) is tenth and eighth in those polls.
