Torrey Pines faces uphill climb for state volleyball title

Torrey Pines High School’s girls volleyball team was about as dominant as it gets this season.

The Falcons, ranked fifth in the nation by MaxPreps.com, lost just four matches. Three of them came to the teams ranked second (Sierra Canyon), third (Santa Ana Mater Dei) and fourth (Phoenix Xavier College Prep) in the country.

They swept through the San Diego section, losing only two sets in the county all season.

Their roster has a bevy of players committed to high-level college programs, including Finley Krystkowiak (Penn State), Jaycee Mack (Baylor), Emery Gonzales (Santa Clara), Marina Vosloo (Arizona), Lila Green (Kansas) and Danica Nordlicht (Columbia).

Yet winning a CIF state title will take a monumental effort.

The Falcons are seeded third in the Open Division behind Sierra Canyon and Mater Dei. They’ll open with a home match Wednesday at 6 p.m. against San Juan Capistrano San Juan Hills.

“It’s going to be a scary, difficult task ahead of us, but we’re excited,” Torrey Pines coach Brennan Dean said. “This is what the end of the season is supposed to look like, so why not us?”

In a somewhat surprising move, Cathedral Catholic (28-8) will host a first-round match. The Dons will take on Los Angeles Marymount.

If the Dons — ranked 25th nationally by MaxPreps.com — advance, they’ll have a semifinal date with Sierra Canyon, which features Nebraska-bound Kendall Omoruyi and USC-bound McKenna McIntosh.

Coronado (33-8) and Bishop’s (25-8) will both host first-round matches Tuesday in Division 1. Westview is the No. 2 seed in Division 2, and Our Lady of Peace received the top seed in Division 3, a bracket that features four San Diego teams.

CIF state volleyball playoffs

Southern California Regionals

OPEN DIVISION

Quarterfinals

Wednesday, 6 p.m.

(8) Manhattan Beach Mira Costa at (1) Chatsworth Sierra Canyon

(5) Los Angeles Marymount at (4) Cathedral Catholic

(6) San Juan Capistrano San Juan Hills at (3) Torrey Pines

(7) Redondo Beach Redondo Union at (2) Santa Ana Mater Dei

Semifinals

Saturday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Regional championship match: Nov. 18 at home site

State championship match: Nov. 22 at Orange Santiago Canyon College, 6:30 p.m.

DIVISION 1

First round

Tuesday, 6 p.m.

(16) Santa Barbara San Marcos at (1) Los Angeles Harvard-Westlake

(9) San Luis Obispo at (8) Long Beach Poly

(12) La Jolla Country Day at (5) Torrance Bishop Montgomery

(13) Redlands at (4) Valencia West Ranch

(14) San Marcos at (3) Santa Margarita

(11) San Juan Capistrano JSerra Catholic at (6) Coronado

(10) Corona Centennial at (7) Bishop’s

(15) Orange Lutheran at (2) Temecula Valley

Quarterfinals: Thursday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Semifinals: Saturday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Regional championship match: Nov. 18 at home site, 6 p.m.

State championship match: Nov. 21 at Orange Santiago Canyon College, 6:30 p.m.

DIVISION 2

First round

Tuesday, 6 p.m.

(16) Oak Park at (1) Bakersfield Liberty

(9) Arroyo Grande at (8) La Cañada Flintridge Prep

(12) La Cañada at (5) Christian

(13) Ventura at (4) Santa Ana Foothill

(14) Los Angeles Venice at (3) Cypress

(11) San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret’s at (6) Scripps Ranch

(10) Pacific Palisades Palisades at (7) Carlsbad

(15) Dana Hills at (2) Westview

Quarterfinals: Thursday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Semifinals: Saturday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Regional championship match: Nov. 18 at home site, 6 p.m.

State championship match: Nov. 22 at Orange Santiago Canyon College, 4 p.m.

DIVISION 3

First round

Tuesday, 6 p.m.

(16) Redlands Arrowhead Christian at (1) Academy of Our Lady of Peace

(9) Bakersfield Garces Memorial at (8) Simi Valley Royal

(12) Reseda Cleveland at (5) Patrick Henry

(13) Woodland Hills El Camino Real at (4) Santa Fe Christian

(14) Woodland Hills Taft at (3) Mission Vista

(11) Santa Barbara at (6) Ontario Christian

(10) Los Angeles Eagle Rock at (7) Palos Verdes Peninsula Chadwick

(15) El Segundo Wiseburn-Da Vinci at (2) Bakersfield Frontier

Quarterfinals: Thursday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Semifinals: Saturday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Regional championship match: Nov. 18 at home site, 6 p.m.

State championship match: Nov. 22 at Orange Santiago Canyon College, 1:30 p.m.

DIVISION 4

First round

Tuesday, 6 p.m.

(1) Nipomo, bye

(9) El Camino at (8) Van Nuys Grant

(12) San Juan Capistrano Capistrano Valley Christian at (5) Chatsworth

(13) Hemet West Valley at (4) Olympian

(14) Carpinteria Cate at (3) Granada Hills Charter

(11) Garden Grove Pacifica at (6) Los Angeles University

(10) The Rock Academy at (7) Granada Hills Kennedy

(15) Carson California Academy of Math & Science at (2) Mammoth Lakes Mammoth

Quarterfinals: Thursday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Semifinals: Saturday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Regional championship match: Nov. 18 at home site, 6 p.m.

State championship match: Nov. 22 at Orange Santiago Canyon College, 11 a.m.

DIVISION 4

First round

Tuesday, 6 p.m.

(1) East Valley, bye

(9) Loma Linda Academy at (8) Panorama City Panorama

(12) South Gate South East at (5) Lakewood Artesia

(13) South Gate Legacy at (4) Wildomar Elsinore

(14) Moreno Valley at (3) O’Farrell Charter

(11) La Puente Nogales at (6) Montebello Schurr

(7) Ventura Foothill Tech at (10) South El Monte

(15) Anaheim at (2) Morro Bay

Quarterfinals: Thursday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Semifinals: Saturday at home sites, 6 p.m.

Regional championship match: Nov. 18 at home site, 6 p.m.

State championship match: Nov. 21 at Orange Santiago Canyon College, 4 p.m.