The Eastlake High School girls volleyball team may have denied Olympian chance to win this year’s Metro-Mesa League championship. But the Lady Eagles have another banner quest still remaining on their check list: winning a second consecutive San Diego Section divisional championship.
Olympian became the first girls sports team in history at the east side Chula Vista school to capture a CIF banner when it defeated San Marcos, 3-0, to win last year’s Division III title. The Lady Eagles have moved up to the Division II competition tier this season but remain No. 1 in the division power rankings.
Olympian’s 2014 CIF championship is also believed to be the first recorded by a Metro Conference teams since 2000 when Bonita Vista won the Division I title (and would later go on to win a state championship and top national ranking).
“I felt really honored to be on that team,” explained junior Lady Eagles libero/outside hitter Yvette Macias, one of 10 returners from that history making 2014 Olympian squad. “It was fun to be on a team with that much dedication.”
And talent.
Macias said the returners off last year’s CIF championship team set three goals early this season. “To win another CIF championship and hopefully league, and to qualify for state,” she said.
What makes the Lady Eagles so successful?
“Their ability to work together,” Olympian assistant coach Valerie Ruiz commented. “I think communication between the players and having a lot of returners from last year – 10 out of 16 are back — has a lot to do with it. That big group has the ability to communicate on the court with the same goal in mind. They want to do it again – win back-to-back CIF championships.”
The Lady Eagles (5-2 in league, 21-10 overall) have one league game remaining on their schedule (Friday at Otay Ranch) before the division playoffs start. Olympian tops the division power rankings ahead of Valhalla (second, 16-8), Mission Vista (third, 21-10), Otay Ranch (fourth, 20-11), Escondido (fifth, 16-13), University City (sixth, 16-10), Granite Hills (17-14) and Pacific Ridge (13-18).
Playoff pairings will be announced on Saturday, Nov. 7. Opening round play in Division II and Division IV starts on Tuesday, Nov. 10, while opening round play in Division I and Division III starts on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Division II, Division IV and Open Division quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, followed by Division I, Division III and Division V quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Championship round games will be played alternately at Canyon Crest Academy and Cathedral Catholic High School.
Clash of the Titans
Eastlake, which sits third in the Division I power rankings, won Wednesday’s match-up of the top two teams in the league by scores of 25-19, 33-35, 26-24, 25-23.
Junior Kristen Abels led the Lady Titans (8-0 in league, 20-12 overall) with 22 kills while Olympian junior Lauren Appelman also tallied 22 kills for the Lady Eagles.
Eastlake junior Jaelyn Munoz had seven aces while four players finished in double figures in digs: Abels (20), Munoz (19), sophomore Hannia Barrera (18) and junior Anissa Vera (11). Vera had 20 assists to lead the Lady Titans to the league championship.
Olympian leaders include Appelman and junior Andrea Ramirez each with three serving aces, Macias with 40 digs and junior Laurie Orbita and Ramirez each with 15 assists.
The hosts also received 23 digs from senior Alex Hightower, 17 digs from Orbita, 13 digs from Appelman and 10 digs from Ramirez.
The Lady Eagles swept host Bonita Vista (8-20 overall) last Friday to remain in contention for a share of the league championship. The three games were all highly competitive, though the visitors emerged victorious in each one: 25-19, 25-22, 25-20.
Appelman led the Lady Eagles with 12 kills while Hightower contributed eight kills, Macias recorded five serving aces and 21 digs, and Ramirez contributed 14 assists.
CIF notepad
Eastlake and Olympian aren’t the only two South County teams hovering near the top of their respective division power rankings.
The Montgomery Aztecs, who are on the verge of winning this year’s Metro-South Bay League title, occupy the No. 2 spot (behind Mission Bay) in the section’s Division III power rankings, while Mar Vista (3-2 in Metro-South Bay League play, 13-10 overall) are ranked No. 2 in Division V.
Montgomery (28-5 overall) improved to 5-0 in league play after sweeping visiting San Ysidro, 3-0, on Wednesday. The Lady Aztecs went 7-0 at last weekend’s Monte Vista tournament.
Mission Bay is 22-4, 11-1 in league play, but dropped a 3-2 non-league decision at Montgomery on Oct. 29 in a key pre-playoff preview.
Senior Lyssette Serna leads the Lady Aztecs with 228 kills while junior Mikayla Anaya has accumulated 70 serving aces and 466 digs, and freshman Isabella Isaia has a team-leading 391 digs.
Sweetwater (16-13 overall) took a step closer to clinching this year’s Metro-Pacific League championship after defeating visiting Castle Park, 3-2, on Wednesday. The Lady Red Devils improved to 5-0 in league and host Chula Vista in Friday’s regular season finale.
Sweetwater, riding a seven-match winning streak, has moved up to seventh in the Division IV power rankings.
Chula Vista Calvary Christian Academy (4-3 in league, 11-7 overall) is seventh in the Division V power rankings while San Ysidro (8-16 overall) is 12th and Chula Vista (6-12 overall) is 14th.
