Mira Costa showed it will be a team to be reckoned with as the Southern Pacific Girls’ IBVL (Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League) presented by AAU opened its inaugural season at Dockweiler State Beach on Saturday.
Mira Costa is one of eight high schools competing in the new league which is operated by the Southern Pacific Volleyball Committee, a district and member organization of the Amateur Athletic Union that has operated the AAU National Beach Volleyball Tour since 1994.
The league’s competition will be similar to the NCAA sand volleyball format, which is also beginning in the 2011-2012 spring season and includes local universities Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine and USC.
League matches are played at Dockweiler State Beach and at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica.
Running through May, the league features dual match competition consisting of three doubles teams from Carson, El Segundo, Harvard-Westlake, Marlborough, Marymount, Mira Costa, Palos Verdes and Valencia high schools. Teams will face two schools each day of competition.
Top teams qualify for the playoffs which will be held Saturday, May 5 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Anneberg Community Beach House.
“Having specialized in junior beach volleyball competition for more than 20 years, we are looking forward to the upcoming season for our local high school athletes competing this season and providing an opportunity to participate in the newest NCAA sport,” stated AAU Beach Volleyball Commissioner Gino Grajeda. “The birthplace of the sport took place right here on the beaches of Southern California, it is only fitting that we also inaugurate the first interscholastic beach volleyball league.”
Saturday’s action began with a round of non-league matches and after Mira Costa tuned-up against Harvard-Westlake, the team got down to business by sweeping Palos Verdes. The Mustangs join other winners El Segundo, Marymount and Valencia atop the standings.
Mira Costa’s No. 1 team of Katie Warshaw and Lan Nguyen had little trouble defeating the top team from Palos Verdes of Bryce Bark and Keaton Alley, 21-12, 21-13, while the Mustang’s No. 2 team of Skylar Caputo and Keala Rusher beat the Palos Verdes team of Sam Hunter and Claire Garrison in the same fashion with a score of 21-11, 21-14.
Marymount also looked strong with the No. 1 team of Lauren Fuller (Manhattan Beach) and Christine Irvin (Pacific Palisades) defeating Carson’s top team of Chasticy Gonzales and Jasmine Braff, 21-11, 21-10. The Manhattan Beach duo of Olivia Rodberg and Grace Campbell formed Marymount’s No. 2 team throttling Joline Basilio and Jewel Yandall, 21-3, 21-7.
Mira Costa continues its quest for the league’s first title on Saturday, March 24 when the team faces Marymount and Marlborough. The Mustangs continue action against Carson and Valencia on March 31 and El Segundo and Harvard-Westlake on April 28.
Complete schedules are posted at www.aaa-volleyball.d4sportsclub.com.
The league is supported by the AAU National Executive Volleyball Committee and Championship Volleyball.
