Coming off losses against two CIF-Southern Section Division 1 adversaries, Redondo’s girls volleyball team is looking for a way to get hot before playoffs get under way on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Redondo is 15-10 overall and 7-1 in Bay League action after a hard-fought win against Peninsula Tuesday.
The Sea Hawks celebrated their Senior Night with a 25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 25-14 victory over the Panthers and were led by Naomi Leilua’s 15-kill performance.
Faith Ryn added 10 kills, Maddie Relaz had eight kills and Nalani Iosia contributed 16 digs and four aces.
Head coach Tommy Chaffins has revamped a Sea Hawk lineup that will play a key league match at Palos Verdes Thursday before hosting its own Varsity Power Classic tournament Friday and Saturday. Redondo concludes the regular season at rival Mira Costa on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
“We have changed our lineup,” Chaffins said. “The tournament will give us much needed game-time experience for us to work on our new lineup. We have been in the finals 11 out of the last 13 years and hope to be in the thick of things again for our tournament.”
Tournament action begins Friday at 3:30 p.m. with the finals scheduled for approximately 3 p.m. Saturday.
The top eight seeds in the tournament are Marymount (No. 7, Div. 1), Redondo (No. 9, Div. 1), Flintridge Sacred Heart (No. 10, Div. 1), Long Beach Poly, Rancho Cucamonga, Clovis West, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks and Westridge.
“Our top six seeds are currently ranked in the top 40 in the state so we feel we have a great field for our tournament again,” Chaffins said. “This is a great opportunity for ourselves and all of the teams to fine tune and prepare for the end of league and the playoffs.”
After being swept by visiting Mira Costa, Redondo dropped a hard-fought 25-16, 24-26, 25-16, 17-25, 25-6 home match to Marymount on Oct. 11 and hopes to rebound in the Varsity Power Classic, where the Sea Hawks are two-time defending champions.
Mira Costa’s victory at Redondo put the Mustangs in the driver seat for the Bay League crown. The Mustangs began the week with a season record of 21-6 and 7-0 in league competition are ranked No. 3 in CIF-SS Division 1.
In its annual Dig Pink night benefiting breast cancer research, Mira Costa fell to No. 2 Mater Dei 25-16, 25-15, 20-25, 25-22 on Oct. 12 but have defeated top-ranked Santa Margarita in two out of three meetings this season.
Coach Hayley Lawson-Blanchard takes her team to Santa Barbara this weekend to compete in the Tournament of Champions. Torrey Pines is the reigning champion with Mira Costa finishing 5th in 2015 after capturing the title in 2014
“This weekend, we haven’t faced Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) but they are always good,” Lawson Blanchard said. “Torrey Pines easily handled us in Las Vegas (Durango Fall Classic), so we are looking to fight back better against them this time.”
The Redondo match will be Mira Costa’s Senior Night. honoring the Mustang’s four seniors Britt Bommer, Alexa Underwood, Amanda Montag, and Hannah Scott.
“These four have never beaten Redondo at home, so it will hopefully be a very special and memorable night for them,” Lawson-Blanchard added.
