California High School Girls Volleyball Top 20 State Rankings (Oct. 20, 2026)

Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon lead the state as the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs begin, with Mira Costa and Los Alamitos among the championship contenders.

Oaks Christian moved up three spots in this week's California Girls Volleyball Top 20 rankings, to No. 12, as the Lions extended their winning streak to 22 consecutive matches. | Kevin Deadwylier

The road to a California high school girls volleyball state championship is underway, and the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs feature four of the state's top-ranked teams.

No. 1 Mater Dei and No. 2 Sierra Canyon enter as the leading championship contenders, but No. 3 Mira Costa and No. 4 Los Alamitos have the talent to challenge both favorites.

The Southern Section returns to an eight-team Division 1 format in 2026, with two four-team pools. The winner of each pool advances to the championship match Saturday, Nov. 7, at Cerritos College.

Mater Dei headlines Pool A, which also includes Oaks Christian, Santa Margarita and Harvard-Westlake.

Sierra Canyon leads Pool B, joined by Mira Costa, Los Alamitos and Marymount.

The Division 1 field was selected using the Massey Ratings, a third-party mathematical ranking system.

Among the players to watch are Mira Costa sophomore Lily Vandeweghe and Los Alamitos standouts Charlotte Hall and Ani Allen.

CIF Southern Section Division 1 Playoff Pools

Pool A

• Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
• Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)
• Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
• Harvard-Westlake (Studio City)

Pool B

• Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)
• Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach)
• Los Alamitos
• Marymount (Los Angeles)

The Southern Section playoffs include 11 divisions, with Divisions 2 through 11 competing in 32-team brackets.

Newport Harbor, ranked No. 5 statewide by High School On SI, is the top seed in Division 2.

The Sailors are among the teams that could make a deep postseason run outside the loaded Division 1 field.

Other California Sections Prepare for Postseason Play

While Southern Section competition gets underway, the state's other nine CIF sections are concluding their regular seasons and preparing for their respective playoffs.

The San Diego Section could produce another championship showdown between Torrey Pines and Cathedral Catholic.

Torrey Pines recently defeated Cathedral Catholic in four sets, adding another chapter to one of the state's most competitive rivalries.

In the North Coast Section, programs such as Branson and Monte Vista are among the teams to watch as league competition gives way to postseason play.

Following the section championships, teams will advance to the CIF Southern California and Northern California regional playoffs.

The CIF State Finals are scheduled for Nov. 20-21 at Santiago Canyon College in Orange.

California High School Girls Volleyball Top 20 Rankings

Records through Oct. 18, 2026. Previous rankings in parentheses.

1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana)

Record: 35-1
Previous rank: 1
Section: Southern

The Monarchs avenged their only loss of the season with a convincing 25-14, 25-11, 25-16 sweep of Santa Margarita.

Westley Matavao led the attack with 14 kills, while Sienna Cicero recorded 14 digs. Six-rotation standout Katherine Nowak added 10 digs, and setters Riley Stringer and Kalea Lee contributed 12 and 10 assists, respectively.

Mater Dei enters the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs as the state's top-ranked team.

2. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)

Record: 29-1
Previous rank: 2
Section: Southern

Sierra Canyon captured the Mission League championship and enters the postseason seeking another opportunity to face Mater Dei.

The Trailblazers' only loss came against the Monarchs at the Durango Invitational.

Hanna McGinest leads Sierra Canyon with 373 kills, followed by Eva Jeffries with 238, Kendall Omoruyi with 202 and McKenna McIntosh with 157.

3. Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach)

Record: 20-6
Previous rank: 3
Section: Southern

Mira Costa closed its latest outing with a 25-20, 25-16, 26-24 victory over Palos Verdes.

Sophomore Lily Vandeweghe recorded 12 kills and 14 digs, while Lerin Rosenthal contributed 11 kills.

Brynn Barry led the defense with 18 digs, and Izzy Basilio and Emerson Harper each finished with 17 assists.

The Mustangs will be a serious contender in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

4. Los Alamitos

Record: 29-6
Previous rank: 4
Section: Southern

The Griffins completed an undefeated Sunset League campaign, finishing 12-0 in conference play.

Led by Charlotte Hall and Ani Allen, Los Alamitos has assembled one of its strongest seasons since the 2013 team featuring Crissy Jones.

The Griffins enter the Division 1 playoffs looking to carry their league success into postseason competition.

5. Newport Harbor (Newport Beach)

Record: 28-6
Previous rank: 5
Section: Southern

The Sailors swept Huntington Beach 25-10, 25-19, 25-22.

Newport Harbor holds the No. 5 position in High School On SI's statewide rankings but was placed in the Southern Section Division 2 playoff field based on the Massey Ratings.

The Sailors enter that bracket as the top seed.

6. Torrey Pines (San Diego)

Record: 24-5
Previous rank: 8
Section: San Diego

Torrey Pines climbs two spots after defeating Cathedral Catholic 26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17 in a highly anticipated rivalry matchup.

Stella Delgadillo led the Falcons with 13 kills, Parker Herrin added 10 and Dylan Kupiec recorded 10 blocks.

The victory gives Torrey Pines momentum heading toward the San Diego Section playoffs.

7. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego)

Record: 27-6
Previous rank: 7
Section: San Diego

The Dons suffered a four-set loss to Torrey Pines despite a strong performance from Baylee Wilson, who finished with 19 kills.

Olivia Greenwood added 12 kills.

The closely contested match demonstrated how little separates these San Diego powers, which could meet again during the postseason.

8. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)

Record: 17-10
Previous rank: 6
Section: Southern

The Eagles dropped two spots after losing their rematch with Mater Dei.

Ireland Real leads Santa Margarita with 236 kills, followed by Katherine Jackson with 217 and MacKenzie McDaniel with 185.

Setter Ari Robinson has recorded 328 assists.

The Eagles will have another opportunity to challenge Mater Dei in Southern Section Division 1 Pool A.

9. Marymount (Los Angeles)

Record: 22-10
Previous rank: 9
Section: Southern

Makenna Barnes leads the Sailors with 262 kills, while Katelyn Oerlemans has contributed 254 kills and 60 blocks.

Leighton Devereux directs the offense with 546 assists.

Marymount faces a challenging Division 1 pool that includes Sierra Canyon, Mira Costa and Los Alamitos.

10. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City)

Record: 19-11
Previous rank: 10
Section: Southern

Grace Ge has recorded 493 assists for the Wolverines, who earned a spot in the Southern Section Division 1 playoff field.

Harvard-Westlake will compete in Pool A against Mater Dei, Oaks Christian and Santa Margarita.

11. Orange Lutheran (Orange)

Record: 25-7
Previous rank: 12
Section: Southern

The Lancers move up one position after defeating JSerra 18-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-16.

A demanding Trinity League schedule has prepared Orange Lutheran for the Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.

12. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)

Record: 25-2
Previous rank: 15
Section: Southern

The Lions climb three positions and enter the playoffs riding a 22-match winning streak.

Oaks Christian has not lost since Sept. 1.

Tristyn Bailey leads the attack with 284 kills, followed by Elyse Wong with 254 and Malia Ogbechie with 211.

The Lions will test their winning streak against the competition in Division 1 Pool A.

13. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose)

Record: 23-5
Previous rank: 11
Section: Central Coast

The Monarchs swept rival St. Francis of Mountain View 25-9, 25-22, 25-16 behind an outstanding performance from Chayse Courtney, who recorded 21 kills with a .645 hitting percentage.

Mitty then survived a five-set battle with Valley Christian, rallying for a 19-25, 23-25, 25-13, 25-18, 15-8 victory.

Courtney contributed 19 kills in the comeback.

The Monarchs also defeated St. Ignatius in four sets, with Selma Mahmoud recording 24 assists and freshman Kaila Lock adding 20.

14. Crean Lutheran (Irvine)

Record: 24-4
Previous rank: 13
Section: Southern

The Saints secured the Crestview League championship with a 20-25, 25-7, 25-18, 25-14 victory over Sunny Hills.

After dropping the opening set, Crean Lutheran dominated the second and maintained control through the final two sets.

15. Monte Vista (Danville)

Record: 26-4
Previous rank: 14
Section: North Coast

The Mustangs earned a hard-fought road victory over San Ramon Valley, winning 25-18, 18-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-10.

Kennedy Whyte delivered an outstanding performance with 29 kills and a .355 hitting percentage.

The five-set victory strengthens Monte Vista's position among the North Coast Section's leading contenders.

16. Rocklin

Record: 34-6
Previous rank: 18
Section: San Joaquin

Rocklin moves up two spots behind a productive offensive attack.

Kaleigh Morasci leads the Thunder with 439 kills, followed by Sidney Jones with 282 and Iliya Little with 234.

Elli Williams directs the offense with 517 assists.

17. Folsom

Record: 28-7
Previous rank: Not ranked
Section: San Joaquin

Folsom enters the Top 20 after defeating St. Francis of Sacramento in five sets.

The Bulldogs rallied for a 15-25, 25-14, 21-25, 25-17, 15-9 road victory.

Jazmin Ojo powered the offense with 23 kills and a .340 hitting percentage, while Avery Masters added 15 kills.

18. St. Francis (Sacramento)

Record: 27-6
Previous rank: 17
Section: San Joaquin

The Troubadours slipped one position following their five-set loss to Folsom.

Gilly Glickman finished with 13 kills, and Hailey Sutton added 10.

Despite the defeat, St. Francis remains among the San Joaquin Section's strongest teams.

19. Buchanan (Clovis)

Record: 23-11
Previous rank: 19
Section: Central

The Bears continue their pursuit of the Tri-River Athletic Conference championship behind the powerful hitting of Keira Nelson and the setting of Avery Dedekian.

20. Bishop Montgomery (Torrance)

Record: 21-4
Previous rank: 18
Section: Southern

The Knights have recorded notable victories over Santa Margarita and Redondo Union while also suffering a loss to Oaks Christian.

Their challenging schedule should provide valuable preparation for the Southern Section playoffs.

On the Bubble

St. Francis (Mountain View), Murrieta Valley, Coronado, St. Mary's (Stockton), San Ramon Valley, Foothill, Redondo Union, Long Beach Poly and West Ranch.

Have comments, questions or opinions about the rankings? Email Gordon Kass at gordon.kass@gmail.com.