A much anticipated showdown pitting Bay League rivals Mira Costa and Palos Verdes in the finals of the Division 3 CIF Southern Section Girls Water Polo Championships will not happen.
After a 16-3 rout over Rancho Cucamonga in the first round of the Division 3 CIF Southern Section Girls Water Polo Championships presented by Farmers, Mira Costa ran into a determined Arroyo Grande team Saturday and watched its playoff dreams sink.
The third-seeded Mustangs could not overcome an early 4-0 deficit, falling to the sixth-seeded Eagles 9-4. Mira Costa had defeated Arroyo Grande 9-8 in overtime earlier in the season.
Jordan Raney, Kelly Giery, Sarah Crist and Kaylee Brownsberger scored goals for Mira Costa, which seemed to play tentatively at times. The Mustangs finished the season with a 19-11 record while Arroyo Grande improved to 25-7.
Palos Verdes, which shared the Bay League crown with Mira Costa, did its part to create a rematch with the Mustangs. The third-seeded Sea Kings eliminated No. 5 Upland 10-8 Saturday and knocked off two-time defending champion and top-seeded Harvard-Westlake 12-7 in the semifinals Wednesday.
Palos Verdes (20-9) will take on second-seeded Los Osos (22-10) in the finals Saturday at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center in Irvine.
In Division 6, fourth-seeded Chadwick (14-6) had its season come to an end with a 17-9 loss at No. 5 Palm Desert in the quarterfinals.
Related: High School Sports
