Following its first CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship, Oaks Christian earned the top seed in Division 1 in the Southern California Regional girls water polo playoffs.
The Lions (22-7), who produced a 7-5 victory Saturday against Newport Harbor at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, are appearing in the regionals for the first time since 2019.
Oaks Christian was knocked off by Coronado in the Division 2 regional semifinals in its only other appearance in the eight-team, week-long event.
The Lions are looking to match the success of their boys water polo program, which won a Division 2 regional crown in 2021.
Oaks Christian is scheduled to play host Tuesday to No. 8 Carlsbad (18-11), the San Diego Section Open Division runner-up.
Oaks Christian girls water polo team | Photo courtesy of Oaks Christian
Regional semifinals will be played Thursday, with the championship matches in all three divisions being held Saturday at Long Beach City College.
Newport Harbor (24-6), which won the 2022 Division 1 regional championship, will square off Tuesday against No. 7 San Clemente (22-9) – the Southern Section Division 1 runner-up – at Corona del Mar High.
San Clemente secured the Division 2 regional crown last year.
Mater Dei (23-4), which suffered a 12-11 overtime loss Feb. 18 against Oaks Christian in Southern Section Open Division pool play, will look to return to the Division 1 regional final.
The Monarchs received the No. 3 seed and are competing against No. 6 Laguna Beach (20-11), which won its eighth Southern Section championship Saturday by prevailing by a 10-9 margin in sudden-death overtime in the Division 1 final against San Clemente when Presley Jones converted a 5-meter penalty shot for the golden goal.
Orange Lutheran (23-4), the reigning Division 1 regional champion, is looking to reach a third consecutive final.
The Lancers were awarded the No. 4 seed and play No. 5 Bishop’s School of La Jolla (18-10), which captured its seventh consecutive San Diego Section Open Division title Saturday with a 10-8 victory against Carlsbad.
Orange Lutheran produced an 8-4 victory against Mater Dei in last year’s Division 1 regional final to complete a 31-0 season.
Despite losing 10-6 to Carlsbad in the San Diego Section Open Division semifinals, Clairemont (17-13) earned the top seed in the Division 2 regional playoffs and will play host Tuesday to No. 8 San Dimas (21-8), the Southern Section Division 4 champion.
Clairemont reached the Division 2 regional final last season.
Valhalla (22-5), which suffered a 17-7 setback Feb. 18 against Bishop’s School in the San Diego Section Open Division semifinals, received the No. 2 seed in Division 2.
The Norsemen will compete against No. 7 Rancho Bernardo (15-12), the San Diego Section Division 1 champion, which outlasted Patrick Henry with an 8-7 overtime victory in Saturday’s final.
A showdown of Southern Section champions will be showcased when No. 3 Murrieta Valley (21-11) – the Division 2 champion – competes against No. 6 Elsinore (26-1), the Division 3 winner.
After losing to Valhalla in the San Diego Section Open Division quarterfinals, La Jolla (17-10) rebounded to secure victories against Helix and Torrey Pines to qualify for the Division 2 regional playoffs.
The Vikings are the No. 4 seed and will square off against No. 5 Downey (22-5), the Southern Section Division 2 runner-up.
Cathedral Catholic (25-4), the San Diego Section Division 2 champion, grabbed the top seed in the Division 3 regional playoffs.
The Dons will compete Tuesday against Anaheim (12-10), the Southern Section Division 6 champion.
Both L.A. City Section champions will match up again, as Open Division winner Birmingham (18-9) secured the No. 2 seed and will face No. 7 Granada Hills (10-1), which captured the Division 1 title.
Granada Hills suffered its lone loss Jan. 27 in a 15-4 setback against Birmingham.
After Southern Section Division 5 champion El Dorado decided not to compete in the regional playoffs, runner-up Santa Paula (17-13) achieved the No. 3 seed and will compete against No. 6 San Pedro (6-6), an L.A. City Section Open Division semifinalist.
Ramona (15-14), the San Diego Section Division 3 champion, captured the No. 4 seed and will compete against No. 5 Palisades (10-10), the L.A. City Section Open Division runner-up.