The high school girls volleyball season has already begun in several sections or is about to get underway all across the state later this month.
Here is a look at the top girls volleyball program in each of the 10 sections that highlight competition in California entering this season.
There are several returning section champions looking to build on their remarkable title runs, runner-up programs looking to regroup following frustrating setbacks, and younger lineups that benefited from significant postseason experiences last season in their quest to enjoy even more success this year.
Read below to find out which girls volleyball team was highlighted in each section:
CENTRAL SECTION
Clovis North
Coach: Lauren Winslow
Last season: Lost in Division 1 section quarterfinals, lost in Northern California Division 2 regional final
Outlook: The Broncos won a Tri-River Athletic Conference title in 2019 and captured the Northern California Division 2 regional crown in 2022, before losing in the state final, so the missing piece to the puzzle for Clovis North this season is the pursuit of a section championship. The Broncos reached the Division 1 section final in 2021, losing to Clovis West, and also in 2014, falling to Clovis.
Although they were knocked out early in the section playoffs last season, Clovis North rebounded to reach the Division 2 regional final, allowing the Broncos to gain valuable postseason experience for this year.
Ava Rogers leads a determined senior class, including Chelsea Haydock, Cayla Sutton, Kennedy Lingenfelter, Dakota Morandi, Sofia Sanchez, and Makena Sacks, with the Broncos needing to overcome reigning section champion and rival Buchanan, which must replace graduates Grace Goudy and Gursimran Gill in its quest to repeat.
CENTRAL COAST SECTION
Archbishop Mitty
Coach: Jon Wallace
Last season: Won Open Division section title, lost in Open Division state final
Outlook: The Monarchs captured a fourth Open Division section title in eight years and tested Mater Dei in the state final, creating even more motivation to add to its California record of 14 state championships this season. Archbishop Mitty, which won back-to-back Open Division state crowns in 2016-17, is led by senior setters Maya Baker and Kacie Caoili, who are surrounded by versatile offensive options in Makenna Crosson, Jasmine Shum and Katelyn Sentous.
The Monarchs, who added to their state record with a 20th appearance in a state final last season, also excel defensively with senior libero Nicole Macalintal. Archbishop Mitty and St. Francis Mountain View squared off six times last season, including the final two matchups in the section and regional finals, so the Monarchs should expect to be challenged again by the Lancers, as well as St. Ignatius College Prep, throughout the fall.
L.A. CITY SECTION
Venice
Coach: Raul Aviles
Last season: Lost in Open Division section semifinals, lost in Southern California Division 3 regional
quarterfinals
Outlook: Following a dominant run to capture the Open Division section title in 2021, the Gondoliers have endured a pair of semifinal losses the past two seasons, creating plenty of drive to win their fourth championship this season.
Venice has a balanced lineup, especially with Pauline Lao taking over the libero duties following the graduation of All-City athlete Tinoa Woodward-Hart. Kaya Richards, a sophomore, is expected to run the offense, which includes junior outside hitters Gaia Adeseun-Williams and Samantha Lortnie, senior middle blocker Amiekal Looney and junior Aaliyah Baskett, plus senior opposite hitter Katie Campbell.
In addition to battling Palisades in the Western League, Venice will likely have to prevail against multiple West Valley League opponents in order to secure another section crown, having been knocked off the past two years in the postseason by Taft and Granada Hills.
NORTH COAST SECTION
Branson
Photo courtesy of Branson.
Coach: Michelle Brazil
Last season: Won Division 2 section title, lost in Northern California Open Division regional semifinals
Outlook: The Bulls made it five straight seasons, across three different divisions, of capturing a section title, making it 13 championships in a 15-year span. With the 2020 fall season being canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Branson has only lost one section final since 2009, falling in five in the 2017 Division 4 championship match to Lick Wilmerding.
It marked the first time the Bulls had prevailed in Division 2, following three consecutive Division 3 crowns, and Branson is capable of being the elite program in the entire section this fall with the return of senior outside hitter Elena Fisher.
Although the Bulls graduated three significant contributors, most notably setter Logan Tusher, senior Celia Tolmie is a veteran capable of running the offense, which includes promising opposite hitter Blake Cussen and fellow sophomore Abby King at middle blocker. Branson will continue to rely heavily on its defense, with senior Lauren Dignan among the most reliable competitors in the section.
Pleasanton Foothill and Marin Catholic both return impactful players from the lineups that competed in the Division 1 section final, but Branson scheduled both programs in the first month of the season to gain experience in preparation for the postseason.
NORTHERN SECTION
Palo Cedro Foothill
Photo courtesy of Palo Cedro Foothill.
Coach: Pablo Iana
Last season: Lost in Division 2 section final, lost in Northern California Division 3 regional quarterfinals
Outlook: Foothill and Pleasant Valley have squared off for the Division 2 title for the past three years, with the Cougars looking to rebound again this season, just like they did to prevail in 2022 after being knocked off in the 2021 section final.
Evie Turner, a senior, is an all-around threat for Foothill, looking to increase her offensive contributions following the graduation of Grace McQuoid. Daelynn Callegari is a promising junior who has also taken on a more significant role and joins seniors Mia Wallace and Atley Stahl in providing a strong front-line presence for the Cougars.
Elayna Hess is an improving junior middle blocker, with senior Emily Rafferty anchoring the defense for Foothill, which produced the first state playoff victory in program history last season by sweeping Cardinal Newman.
OAKLAND SECTION
Skyline
Coach: Genesis Branner
Last season: Won section title, lost in Northern California Division 5 regional semifinals
Outlook: The Titans extended their streak of section championships to six in a row, but must overcome significant losses to graduation to continue their impressive run this season.
Michaela Branner, Kalea Fihaki, Jahzara Hutchinson, and Victoria Pham were all veterans instrumental in Skyline’s success last year, but the program still has the potential to excel behind the leadership and experience of senior setter Yan Wong.
Leila Fite is also a strong offensive contributor and libero Tammy Xiao is a consistent defensive presence for the Titans, who are the only Oakland public school program to advance to the Division 5 state final, before falling to Santa Clarita Christian in 2021.
SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION
Stockton St. Mary’s
Coach: Garren Allala
Last season: Won Division 1 section title, lost in Northern California Open Division regional quarterfinals
Outlook: The arrival at Rocklin of new coach Bret Almazan-Cezar, who won 11 state titles from 2001-17 at Archbishop Mitty, has created plenty of excitement around the Thunder program this season.
But the presence of outside hitter McKenna McIntosh was not only the main factor in the Rams sweeping Rocklin to win their first section championship since 2010, in addition to their 13th crown in program history.
McIntosh returns for her sophomore season for St. Mary’s, working this season with senior setter McKenzie Dobbins following the graduation of Keely Hummel. Alyssa Woody and Eliana Williams, both juniors, provide valuable support for the Rams, who will also rely on significant defensive contributions from Bella Gutierrez. St. Mary’s hasn’t captured back-to-back section championships since winning three in a row in Division 3 from 2006-08.
The last time the Rams repeated in Division was in 1999-2000, with Rocklin seeking its first section crown since 2014.
SAN DIEGO SECTION
Torrey Pines
Coach: Brennan Dean
Last season: Lost in Open Division section final, lost in Southern California Open Division regional quarterfinals
Outlook: Although the Falcons haven’t won a section title since 2019, and despite Torrey Pines not relying on any seniors in their core rotation, the program has the potential to not only challenge three-time Open Division winner Cathedral Catholic but also develop into one of the elite lineups in the state this fall.
Torrey Pines indicated what this season could look like by taking Cathedral Catholic to the limit in last year’s section final, and that has only provided more inspiration for the Falcons.
Finley Krystowiak is one of the most impressive junior outside hitters in the state and she has the benefit of sophomore setter Emery Gonzalez also returning to the lineup, with support from fellow 10th-graders Jaycee Mack, Stella Delgadillo, and Lilia Decker, as well as juniors Samantha Krystowiak, Danica Nordlicht and Marina Vosloo. Sophomore libero Lila Green remains one of the most reliable defensive players in the section, which the Falcons will need in order to snap a six-match losing streak against Cathedral Catholic and prevail in the postseason.
SAN FRANCISCO SECTION
Lowell
Photo courtesy of Lowell.
Coach: Samantha Woo
Last season: Won section title, lost in Northern California Division 3 regional semifinals
Outlook: The Cardinals won a fourth consecutive section title and will look to secure five in a row for the first time since capturing 13 straight championships from 1996-2008. Despite the graduation of Monika Brinlee, Madeline Yang, and Chelsea Yuen, Lowell still boasts a significant amount of experience, led by seniors Piper Loo, Sarah Ng, and Annie Nussbaum.
Soleil Wang and Isabel Qiu, both juniors, were meaningful contributors during last year’s championship run and will have more opportunities to showcase their abilities this season.
Lowell remains the lone San Francisco Section program to win a state title with their Division 3 crown in 2019, and will likely have to withstand the challenge of Balboa once again during the postseason after defeating the Buccaneers three straight years in the section championship match.
SOUTHERN SECTION
Mater Dei
Photo courtesy of Mater Dei.
Coach: Dan O’Dell
Last season: Won Division 1 section title, won Open Division state title
Outlook: Following losses in the Division 1 section final in 2019 and 2021, the Monarchs not only captured their first section and state championships since 2018, but they also put together one of the best seasons in California prep history.
With exceptional programs in the section like Mira Costa, Marymount, Redondo Union, Santa Margarita, Sierra Canyon, and Huntington Beach ready to challenge Mater Dei, there won’t be any complacency for the Monarchs, but there will be plenty of depth, versatility, and offensive firepower.
The best version of the Mater Dei lineup won’t be showcased until Orange Lutheran transfer Westley Matavao, a sophomore outside hitter, completes her 30-day sit-out period, in addition to junior outside hitter Layli Ostovar returning to competition following a short break after a summer of several strong tournament performances.
In the meantime, there are no shortage of options for Mater Dei, despite the graduation of five starters from a lineup that was widely considered the best in the country last season. Preslie Saunders and Presley Kiffin, both seniors, are impactful contributors on offense, along with middle blockers Addie Coady and Emma Kingston.
Abby Moffett is one of the most promising freshmen in the state, with junior Kaia Ciszewski demonstrating improvement for the Monarchs, who can also rely on the consistency of junior setter Sam Capinpin and senior libero Sydney Raszewski in pursuit of back-to-back section titles for the first time since 2017-18 and potentially the program’s third state championship.