Defending Bay League boys volleyball champion Redondo kicks off its season hosting the annual Varsity Preseason Tournament Friday and Saturday at three venues.
The tournament features 32 teams competing in eight pools and includes eight teams ranked in the top ten in their respective divisions in the CIF preseason poll.
Pool play takes place Friday beginning at 3:30 p.m. All 1st and 2nd place-teams advance to the Gold Division to be held Saturday at Redondo High. The Silver Division consists of 3rd-place team competing at South High and 4th-place teams will play at West High. Saturday competition begins at 8:30 a.m.
Dana Hills is the top seed followed by Redondo and fellow CIF-SS Division adversaries San Marcos and Los Alamitos.
Redondo is ranked No. 8 in the CIF Division 1 preseason poll and Coach Duncan Avery expects the tournament to provide good experience for his team.
“We lost four Division 1 college volleyball players from last year’s team,” Avery said. “Although it is tough to lose that match talent, we have a lot of great athletes to fill their spots. We will have our growing pains this year but you can expect a solid, hard working team from Redondo.”
Redondo had three players that will be watched closely this season. Six-foot-seven junior Lucas Lossone is a USC commit who moved to the opposite hitter position after playing middle last season.
Dominic Cangialosi is a 6-7 senior who will be a force in the middle after earning All-Bay League First Team honors last year.
Sean-Michael Cramer is a 6-3 junior setter who will be running the Sea Hawk offense this season.
Playing at Redondo High on Friday will be Pool 1 (Dana Hills, JSerra, Santa Monica, Chatsworth), Pool 2 (Redondo, Salesian, Warren, Simi Valley), Pool 3 (San Marcos, San Gabriel, Torrance, Carson) and Pool 4 (Los Alamitos, Cathedral, San Pedro, North).
Pool action at South High includes Pool 5 (Long Beach Poly, South, Taft, Culver City) and Pool 6 (Servite, Palisades, Bishop Montgomery, Long Beach Jordan).
West High hosts Pool 7 (Orange Lutheran, Gahr, Calabasas, Millikan) and Pool 8 (Palos Verdes, Burroughs, Notre Dame, West).
