by Garth Meyer
The RUHS girls beach volleyball team won the CIF Division I state championship in both team and pairs competition last week; pairs at Huntington Beach in a 64-team tournament, and team at Long Beach City College.
The Sea Hawks beat Mira Costa to win each title, ending Mira Costa’s 12-year streak of league or state championships, going back to when beach volleyball was limited to area club play.
Redondo Union junior twin sisters Addison and Avery Junk won the 2025 pairs title May 6-7, outlasting the Mustangs’ Ruby Cochrane and Lucy Matusik in the final.
A total of 32 pairs made it out of pool play in the two-day tournament, the last 16 playing four matches the second day to decide it.
For the team competition May 3 in Long Beach, schools advancing to the championship rounds brought five (ranked) pairs. RUHS beat Mira Costa in the no. 1 match, no. 2 and no. 3 to win the championship.
“This year I knew our team was very good; I felt we had a shot for sure,” said Redondo Coach Mark Paaluhi. “It was a matter of convincing our athletes that we could beat someone who had been in control that long.”
An RUHS alumnus from Hermosa Beach, Paaluhi played on the AVP Tour for 13 years, mainly in the ‘90s.
He is in his 12th year coaching at RUHS, starting the program first as a club team before beach volleyball became a CIF sport in 2022.
The current RUHS beach group only graduates one starter this year; one of its three seniors on the roster. ER
