Mater Dei becomes first California girls volleyball team to reach Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast National Division Platinum Bracket final, but falls to Cornerstone Christian of Texas

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Mater Dei had already made history before it even took the court Saturday night against Cornerstone Christian of Texas by becoming the first California girls volleyball program to reach the National Division Platinum Bracket final at Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast.

Unfortunately for the Monarchs, Cornerstone Christian was able to add to its impressive legacy by becoming the first team to win the National Division Platinum Bracket championship twice in tournament history with a 25-20, 25-22 victory at the Alachua County Sports and Event Center.

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The Warriors also captured the National Division Platinum Bracket crown in 2023 by defeating Carrollwood Day School of Florida, rebounding from a three-set loss in the 2022 final against Westminster Christian from Miami.

Mater Dei (8-1) advanced to the final by winning a combined five matches Friday and Saturday without dropping a set, including a 25-16, 25-16 quarterfinal triumph against Carrollwood Day School – runner-up each of the past two years in the National Division Platinum Bracket – followed by a 25-20, 25-14 victory over Pace Academy from Georgia, winner of eight consecutive Class 4A state titles.

Cornerstone Christian (15-3) had a sophomore-laden lineup tested several times during its journey to the championship match, including a 26-28, 25-19, 15-13 semifinal win against previously unbeaten Calvary Christian of Florida after knocking off Westminster Christian by a 25-17, 25-15 margin in the quarterfinals.

Sydney Whisenton, a sophomore setter/outside hitter, received MVP honors for the Warriors after recording seven kills, 18 assists and eight digs in the final.

Sydney Whisenton, a sophomore setter/outside hitter at Cornerstone Christian of Texas, earned MVP after leading the Warriors to the National Division Platinum Bracket title at Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast | Erik Boal photo

Claire Bolton, a sophomore outside hitter, was an all-tournament selection following 11 kills in the championship match, with sophomore libero Sara Gonzalez adding 10 digs against Mater Dei to also earn all-tournament honors for the Warriors.

Westley Matavao, a junior outside hitter and UCLA commit, was an all-tournament pick for Mater Dei, contributing nine kills in the final.

Lizzy Robinson, an Oregon-bound senior libero, and Kaia Ciszewski – a senior outside hitter and UC Irvine commit – were also recognized as all-tournament honorees for the Monarchs.

All-tournament honorees Westley Matavao, left, along with Lizzy Robinson, center, and Kaia Ciszewski, right, led Mater Dei to the National Division Platinum Bracket final at Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast | Erik Boal photo

Mater Dei faced a one-point deficit midway through the opening set in the final, before surrendering three separate three-point runs, as Cornerstone Christian built a 23-15 advantage.

Matavao produced four kills to help the Monarchs cut the deficit to 24-20, but a Mater Dei hitting error helped Cornerstone Christian close out the set.

Addison Coady, a USC-bound senior middle blocker, recorded a kill in the second set to tie the score at 10-10, but the Warriors recorded back-to-back blocks and benefited from another Mater Dei hitting error to contribute to a four-point surge and the Monarchs never got closer than a two-point deficit the rest of the way, before Bolton’s final kill down the line secured the memorable championship for Cornerstone Christian. 

Despite Mater Dei coach Dan O’Dell having a lineup without USC-bound senior outside hitter Layli Ostovar, in addition to three more athletes who are required to complete 30-day sit-out periods mandated by CIF-Southern Section officials following their transfers to join the program, the Monarchs still won six of seven matches during their Florida trip.

Mater Dei girls volleyball coach Dan O’Dell guided the Monarchs to the National Division Platinum Bracket final at the Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast, with the Monarchs becoming the first California program in event history to play for the prestigious title | Photo courtesy of Nike TOC

Mater Dei began competition Thursday with a four-set victory against Trinity Catholic, which went on to finish fourth Saturday in the National Division Gold Bracket.

The Monarchs achieved sweeps Friday against Florida programs Gulliver Prep, Tampa Prep and DeLand to win their pool and earn the top seed in the National Division Platinum Bracket playoffs.

Following the quarterfinal victory against Carrollwood Day, Mater Dei extended its winning streak against Florida opponents to 14 consecutive matches since 2016.

The Monarchs are scheduled to play host Sept. 4 against Redondo Union (13-1), which reached the Gold Division final Aug. 16 at the Ann Kang Invitational at Iolani School in Honolulu, before losing to Byron Nelson of Texas, the top-ranked team in the country.

Cornerstone Christian endured three losses at the same event in Hawaii, before rebounding to win the Silver Division title. The Warriors have won 11 in a row since an Aug. 15 setback to Mira Costa (6-3) in Honolulu.