All five South Coast League girls volleyball teams have been in or considered for the Orange County Top 10 at some point of this season.
“This is how you want it, right?” said Aliso Niguel coach Richelle Danet. “You don’t want to be in an easy league.”
Through Monday, the standings of the five-team league had Aliso Niguel and San Juan Hills tied for first place with their 3-1 records, Dana Hills and Trabuco Hills next at 2-2 and San Clemente at 0-4.
San Clemente, 11-12 overall, lost to some outstanding teams like Sierra Canyon, Mater Dei (twice), Santa Margarita and JSerra.
Aliso Niguel’s league loss was to Dana Hills last week when the Wolverines were shorthanded. San Juan Hills’ league loss was to Aliso Niguel.
Danet said Aliso Niguel has a balanced team of several regular contributors.
“Our libero Macey Smith saves us every game,” Danet said. “She is so steady and calm. Every time we’re in trouble she rolls out a couple of aces.”
Wolverines setter Gigi Green, like Smith a senior, is, Danet said, “not flashy but she always finds ways to make plays.” Junior middle blocker Jaslene Massey has been in double digits in blocks the past three matches.
San Juan Hills has a 6-foot-4 outside hitter, Megan Hodges who is one of the many standout freshmen in Orange County girls volleyball.
“Every team in our league has talent,” Danet said.
Which means the final weeks of the league season will be very competitive.
CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
The CIF Southern Section uses rankings of teams to place schools in CIF-SS girls volleyball playoff divisions.
The latest Southern Section-wide ranking of girls volleyball teams, as supplied by the Massey Ratings System, gives an indication of which teams will be in which divisions for the playoffs that begin Oct. 23.
The size of each of the Southern Section’s 10 divisions will be determined at the end of the regular season. Division 1 was an eight-team division last season when Mater Dei won that division’s championship. Division 1 could be an eight-team division this season.
If Division 1 is an eight-team bracket and the playoffs were to begin today, those eight teams according to the Oct. 1 ratings would be (in order of their rating): Sierra Canyon; Mater Dei; Huntington Beach; Marymount of Los Angeles; Mira Costa; Redondo; Los Alamitos; and Temecula Valley.
Division 2 would have a large group of Orange County teams, including Santa Margarita, Orange Lutheran San Juan Hills, Aliso Niguel, Sunny Hills, Newport Harbor, JSerra, Tesoro and Dana Hills.