CIF San Diego Section Girls Volleyball Championships
When: Friday
Where: Francis Parker School
Admission: $16.75 adults, $11.50 students & seniors. Children under 5 are free. Tickets available on gofan.co.
Division 4: (2) The Rock Academy (8-10) vs. (1) Canyon Hills (16-7), 5:30 p.m.
Preview: Nothing like ending your season the same way you started it. Rock and Canyon Hills battled in a five-set thriller in the season’s first match, won by the Rattlers. Senior Alexa Baird had 14 kills that day on 40 swings for Rock. Baird leads the Warriors with 269 kills and also leads with 41 total blocks. She is second to senior Aliya Landes with 189 digs. Landes is third on the team with 158 kills behind Baird and senior Martha Mulumbilwa (180). The Warriors swept through their South Bay playoff opponents, beating Mar Vista, San Ysidro and Montgomery … Top-seeded Canyon Hills didn’t get challenged in the first two rounds of the bracket with easy sweeps over Liberty Charter and Southwest-San Diego. In the semifinal match, fourth-seeded Del Lago Academy tied it at 1-1 before Canyon Hills dominated the final two sets, 25-16, 25-14.
Division 1: (2) Carlsbad (24-8) vs. (1) Scripps Ranch (23-15), 7:30 p.m.
Preview: Both teams faced formidable challenges in the semifinals. Carlsbad held off a four-set challenge from Our Lady of Peace, while Scripps Ranch was taken to five by Mission Vista, prevailing 15-12 in the fifth. The Lancers finished in third place in the tough Coastal League, one spot ahead of Open Division participant Westview. All of their losses within the county came to Open Division teams except for one loss to Francis Parker. Their outside combination of Ruby Partain and Havani Embry is one of the best in San Diego. Partain had a match-high 22 kills against OLP while Embry added 12. They combined for six aces. Opposite Avery Brick and middle Katie Drury each chipped in with four kills … The top-seeded Falcons limped into the playoffs with nine losses in their last 10 matches. But their schedule has them ready to finish off a championship run. One of their losses was to the No. 2 team in the nation in Sierra Canyon. The highlight of their season may have been beating Otay Ranch to win their own tournament in September. The Falcons are well-rounded but may be strongest from the middle and right side. Bryce Leatherwood is a dominant middle, while Oliva Bryant can put the ball away consistently on the right side. Outside hitters Kristen White and Elyse Taschner are solid.
— TIM MEEHAN