Elite California girls volleyball teams seek more success at Durango Fall Classic

The 29th edition of the Durango Fall Classic girls volleyball tournament, one of the elite events in the country every fall, is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at four locations in Nevada – Durango, Palo Verde, Desert Oasis and Foothill – with 30 programs from California among the 64-team field, looking to extend the state’s run of championships to five in a row in Las Vegas.

Mater Dei, which triumphed last year, returns in an attempt to become the first school to capture back-to-back Durango titles since Assumption High from Kentucky in 2017-18.

Mater Dei won the 2023 Durango Fall Classic

Cathedral Catholic, the Durango champions in 2019 and 2022, is also entered along with 2021 winner Marymount, 2016 title holder Archbishop Mitty and Torrey Pines, which triumphed in 2012-13.

Cathedral Catholic is looking to follow its victory against Mater Dei in the Sept. 7 final of the Dave Mohs Memorial tournament at Huntington Beach Edison High.

Competition begins at 1 p.m. Friday with six pool-play matches on each court, with the schedule resuming at 8 a.m. Saturday to decide the eight playoff brackets. The tournament championship is expected to be showcased at 4:45 p.m. Saturday.

The 16 pool-play winners Friday will compete in qualifying matches Saturday morning, with the eight victorious teams advancing to the championship bracket and the remaining eight programs participating in the silver bracket, with all matches in both playoffs at Durango High.

Below are the pool-play assignments for the event, with California teams highlighted in each group. 

Durango High

Pool 1: Prestonwood Christian Academy (Texas), Harvard-Westlake, Mercy Academy (Kentucky), Rancho (Nevada)

Pool 5: Mater Dei, Queen Creek (Arizona), Mountain View (Utah), Shadow Ridge (Nevada)

Pool 9: Redondo Union, Skyview (Idaho), Durango (Nevada), Flintridge Sacred Heart

Pool 13: Sierra Canyon, Bishop Gorman (Nevada), Bakersfield Liberty, Ironwood Ridge (Arizona)

Palo Verde High

Pool 2: Cornerstone Christian (Texas), Corner Canyon (Utah), La Canada, Poly Prep Country Day School (New York)

Pool 6: Xavier College Prep (Arizona), South Torrance, Coronado (Nevada), South Pasadena

Pool 10: Skutt Catholic (Nebraska), Kamehameha-Kapalama (Hawaii), Long Beach Poly, Bishop Manogue (Nevada)

Pool 14: Marymount, Archbishop Mitty, Palo Verde (Nevada), Rancho Cucamonga

Desert Oasis High

Pool 3: Cathedral Catholic, Hamilton (Arizona), Alemany, Desert Oasis (Nevada)

Pool 7: Huntington Beach, Casteel (Arizona), Chaminade, Moapa Valley (Nevada)

Pool 11: Mira Costa, St. Ignatius, The Hockaday School (Texas), Faith Lutheran (Nevada)

Pool 15: Torrey Pines, Ross Branson, Torrance, Arbor View (Nevada)

Foothill High

Pool 4: Carrollwood Day School (Florida), Long Beach Wilson, John Paul II (Texas), Santa Ana Foothill

Pool 8: Assumption (Kentucky), Mountain View St. Francis, Village Christian, Lakewood

Pool 12: Marist (Illinois), Oaks Christian, Kamehameha-Kea’au (Hawaii), Centennial (Nevada)

Pool 16: Los Alamitos, Iolani (Hawaii), Millennium (Arizona), Vista Murrieta