While most high school seniors are counting the days until they receive their diplomas. Mira Costa volleyball standout Emma Smith is focusing on finishing her prep career as a champion.
The University of Hawaii-bound indoor and beach volleyball star is well on her way after winning the Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League (IBVL) Pairs Championship last Saturday at Dockweiler State Beach.
Smith partnered with sophomore and UCLA commit sophomore Piper Monk-Heidrich to defeat Saddleback Valley Christian’s Lily Dyer and Marisa Ramsey and the duo will lead the Mustangs in their quest for a fourth consecutive IBVL team title this week.
Top-seeded Mira Costa (10-0) is undefeated since 2012 and earned a first-round bye in the varsity playoffs before defeating Ventura in the second round on Tuesday. The Mustangs advance to play the Marymount-Arroyo Grande winner in the quarterfinals at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Santa Monica’s Ocean Park. Semifinals are scheduled for 11 a.m. followed by championship competition at 12:15 p.m.
“I was super excited about winning pairs because I didn’t get to play in it last year and my sophomore year I got second so it felt really good to win it this year,” Smith said. “Winning the IBVL Championship all four years of my high school career would be amazing. I feel we have the talent to do so. I think all the teams in the playoff will be tough competition and we just have to look at everyone the same and not underestimate anyone.”
Also helping Mira Costa in its quest for another IBVL title are the teams of Maddie Micheletti/Alexia Inman and Rio Frohoff/Avery Hazelrigg,
.Each school fields three two-person teams with No. 1 squads facing each other, No. 2 pairs squaring off and No. 3 teams pitted against each other.
“We are very deep in talent,” Mira Costa Head Coach Eric Fonoimoana said. “Our varsity, junior varsity and Frosh/Soph teams all went undefeated during the regular season. Now that women’s beach volleyball is an NCAA sport that provides scholarships, more girls are playing and the competition continues to improve each season.”
Bay Division runner-up Redondo (8-3) advanced to the second round after Marina forfeited its opening-round contest. The Sea Hawks plays South Coast Division champion and fourth-seeded Laguna Beach (10-1) Thursday at 5 p.m. at Annenberg Beach House in Santa Monica.
Redondo is led by the teams of Kyla Doig/Nicole Yacullo, Brittany Ungermann/Kyra Pacifica and Ciara Magyar/Sophia Loiola.
Mira Costa won the Junior Varsity Championship Saturday win a victory over Dos Pueblos after facing its stiffest competition against the Mira Costa Frosh/Soph team in the semifinals.
Results and brackets are available at ibvl.org.
