California Girls High School Volleyball Top 20 State Rankings - Oct. 29, 2025

Marin County pre-playoff action in NorCal proves spectacular

Redwood had a huge week, winning the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) title in dramatic fashion. / Redwood Volleyball

The playoffs have begun but the most spectacular volleyball in the last week came in pre-playoff action in NorCal’s Marin County Athletic League. In the MCAL, Marin Catholic-Kentfield, Branson-Ross and Redwood-Larkspur all tied for first. The league features a post-season tourney, and the trio faced off again and it was dramatic and wild.

In the semifinals, with seeds chosen by draw, the first thriller found Marin Catholic edging Branson in five sets on October 22. MCHS then dueled Redwood in the Friday, October 24 finale, as Redwood had dispatched fourth-seeded Tamalpais-Mill Valley in four sets in the other semifinal.

Redwood prevailed with a reverse sweep 21-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19, 15-12. Madeleine Wagner led the Giants with 21 kills, while the Wildcats were paced by Grace Basso with 20 kills. In the table-turning third set, MC led 23-19, just two points from a victory via a sweep. But Redwood scored the final six in that set. Amazingly, there was more drama. Redwood, capturing its first league title since 2015, trailed 9-5 in the decisive fifth before closing with a 10-3 charge.

The CIF Southern Section began its playoffs last week, with the primary focus on the powerhouse Division 1. Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth, Mater Dei-Santa Ana, Redondo Union-Redondo Beach and Marymount-Los Angeles received first-round byes and head into blockbuster matchups in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, October 28, followed by semifinals on Saturday, November 1 and the title contest at Cerritos College on Saturday, November 8.

In the first round, the other eight squads in the 12-team bracket battled. Mira Costa-Manhattan Beach swept Newport Harbor-Newport Beach, Harvard-Westlake-Studio City swept Crean Lutheran-Irvine and Temecula Valley upended Oaks Christian-Westlake Village in four sets. In a mild upset, San Juan Hills-San Juan Capistrano and sophomore sensation Megan Hodges outdueled Los Alamitos in four.

In the San Diego Section, playoffs begin this week. Torrey Pines-San Diego received the top seed and likely final foe Cathedral Catholic-San Diego claimed the second seed. In other sections, playoffs loom with brackets announced and a few early matches in some sections while others begin this coming weekend.

Another section to watch is the Central Section. Six teams are in Division 1, playing in two pools. Watch second-seeded San Luis Obispo, third-seeded Buchanan-Clovis and sixth-seeded Clovis West-Fresno in Pool B.

High School On SI California Top 20 Girls Volleyball Rankings (records through October 26)

1. Sierra Canyon (Southern Section, 36-3, No. 1 last rating)

Top-seeded Trailblazers have Temecula Valley, Mira Costa and Marymount on their side of the Division 1 bracket. Sierra Canyon has played nearly every top team in the country but has not seen Mater Dei even once.

2. Mater Dei (SS, 29-4, was No. 2)

Monarchs won the CIF State Open Division titles in 2018 and 2023. Westley Matavao and Layli Ostovar may lead MDHS against Sierra Canyon for the CIF-SS title but the qualifier for the November 22 CIF State title match will be the SoCal Regional tournament crown, which will include the San Diego Section powerhouses.

3. Archbishop Mitty (Central Coast Section, 27-3, was No. 3)

Monarchs easily swept Presentation-San Jose and Valley Christian-San Jose to finish off an unbeaten West Catholic Athletic League slate.

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4. Torrey Pines-San Diego (San Diego Section, 34-4, was No. 4)

Torrey Pines won the CIF State Open Division title in 2019. They first have big battles in the San Diego Section bracket and later in the SoCal Regionals.

5. Redondo Union (SS, 29-6, was No. 5)

Abby Zimmerman and the Sea Hawks shared the Bay League title with Mira Costa. They now must regroup for the CIF Southern Section playoffs, where their bracket includes San Juan Hills, Mater Dei and Harvard-Westlake.

6. Mira Costa (SS, 24-9, was No. 6)

Mustangs began the Southern Section playoffs with a 25-15, 25-23, 25-22 sweep of Newport Harbor. Audrey Flanagan belted 15 kills and Simone Roslon contributed 11. Setter Milly McGee dished off for 31 assists.

7. Marymount-Los Angeles (SS, 36-5, was No. 7)

Southern Section playoffs will be a fierce battleground as the second-seeded Sailors’ side of the bracket is loaded, as per comment above in the Sierra Canyon section.

8. Cathedral Catholic-San Diego (SDS, 26-7, was No. 8)

Cathedral Catholic dumped the Coronado-San Diego Islanders 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-15 and then beat Scripps Ranch-San Diego 25-17, 15-25, 25-20, 26-24. Hey, that was close. Madyson McCarthy, Sophia Johnson and Allison Dziecuich lead the Dons.

9. Harvard-Westlake-Studio City (SS, 23-7, was No. 10)

Coach Morgan Wijay left Bishop Alemany-Mission Hills to take the helm at H-W and the Wolverines improved from 13-15 to 23-7. Northwestern commit Maya Stillwell leads the squad and they swept Crean Lutheran in the Southern Section first round.

10. Clovis (Central Section, 32-4, was No. 11)

Lyla Rose ripped 16 kills as the Cougars drilled Clovis West 25-18, 25-15, 25-21. Maila Baker added 10 kills and setter Reina Dvorak collected 35 assists. Clovis West finished Tri-River League play with an amazing 12-0 record.

11. Buchanan (CS, 28-8, was No. 12)

Buchanan finished second in the Tri-River League behind Clovis but has quite a strong squad, led by sophomore Keira Nelson. Bears beat Clovis 2-1 in an early-season tourney but lost twice in league to them. Cougars won the first 25-20, 25-16, 14-25, 25-19 and the rematch 25-21, 25-21, 25-22.

12. San Juan Hills (SS, 21-5, was No. 14)

Red-hot streaking Stallions bumped off Los Alamitos in a playoff barnburner, winning 25-20, 25-27, 25-11, 30-28. Megan Hodges, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, led San Juan Hills with 35 kills.

13. Los Alamitos (SS, 27-8, was No. 9)

Griffins fell to San Juan Hills and a first-round Southern Section Division 1 loss means the season is over. One must advance one more round to get a bid to the SoCal Regionals.

14. Temecula Valley (CS, 18-3, was No. 20)

The Golden Bears knocked off Oaks Christian in a playoff thriller 22-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-23.

15. Santa Margarita-Rancho Santa Margarita (SS, 19-10, was No. 16)

Eagles powered through early wins in the Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. Santa Margarita beat Los Osos-Rancho Cucamonga 25-14, 25-12, 25-20 and rolled past Chaminade-West Hills 25-10, 25-14, 22-25, 25-13.

16. Oaks Christian-Westlake Village (SS, 25-4, was No. 13)

Oaks beat rival Thousand Oaks in a highly-anticipated Marmonte League matchup, but then fell in the Southern Section playoffs to Temecula Valley.

17. Folsom (San Joaquin Section, 29-9, was No. 15)

Folsom barely held on to a first-place Sierra Foothill League co-title with Rocklin by dodging an upset versus Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills. Jazmin Ojo and Addison Smith led the Bulldogs to a 26-28, 16-25, 25-22, 25-15, 15-10 reverse sweep.

18. Redwood (North Coast Section, 19-8, was Not Rated)

The Giants won the MCAL title and fans are looking forward to the NCS playoffs, as Redwood and rivals Marin Catholic and Branson will fight it out once again.

19. Marin Catholic (NCS, 24-6, was No. 18)

Wildcats lost the MCAL match to Redwood but deserve kudos for beating Branson 3-2 two nights earlier.

20. JSerra Catholic-San Juan Capistrano (SS, 19-14, was Not Rated)

Lions’ record shows losses to tough competition but it hardened JSerra and that showed as they upset Thousand Oaks in the SS Division 2 playoffs. The scores were 25-21, 25-27, 25-23, 25-19. Senior Charlotte Nowak and junior sister Katherine Nowak each blasted 17 kills in the victory.

On the bubble: Thousand Oaks (SS), Clovis West (CS), Newport Harbor (SS), West Ranch-Valencia (SS), Branson (NCS), San Luis Obispo (CS).

Got comments, questions or opinions? Email gordon.kass@gmail.com.