Sierra Canyon girls volleyball received the No. 1 seed in the CIF State Southern Regional Division I bracket Sunday after falling to eventual Southern Section champion Redondo Union in the Open Division semifinals last weekend.

The Trailblazers will host No. 16 Esperanza on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

DIVISION III

No. 15 Cleveland at No. 2 South Pasadena, 6 p.m.

No. 16 Granada Hills Charter at No. 1 Visalia Central Valley Christian, 6 p.m.

DIVISION IV

No. 11 Los Angeles Sacred Heart of Jesus at No. 6 El Camino Real

No. 9 Garden Grove at No. 8 Taft

No. 13 Oakwood (CIF-SS Division 8 champions) at No. 4 Santa Maria Righetti

No. 15 Chatsworth (City Division I champions) at No. 2 St. Bonaventure

DIVISION V

No. 14 Camarillo Beacon Hill at No. 3 Grant (City Division III champions)

No. 12 Holtville at No. 5 Trinity Classical Academy

Each week, publications from the The Southern California News Group’s 11 properties (Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News, Press-Enterprise, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Long Beach Press-Telegram, The Daily Breeze, San Bernardino Sun, Daily Bulletin, Redlands Daily Facts, Whittier Daily News and Pasadena-Star News) nominate Athletes of the Week for their respective region.

Each nominee is entered into the overall Southern California Athlete of the Week county-wide vote.

Click on the newspaper links below the athlete’s name to read about their performance from last week, and then vote for who you think is the best athlete this week.

Readers are allowed to vote multiple times. Voting ends at midnight, but final totals aren’t always immediately reflected due to processing.

BOYS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK VOTING

The overall winner will be announced on Friday, Nov. 15.

Voting poll at bottom of the page.

Gia Frank, Oakwood: Frank led Oakwood to its first CIF Southern Section title on Saturday with 13 kills and four aces en route to lifting the Division 8 trophy after defeating Trinity Classical Academy in four sets. Frank’s biggest moment may have come in the first set. Her four kills and two aces helped Oakwood dig out of a six-point deficit and go on to win the opening set. Oakwood will travel to Righetti in Santa Maria for the opening round of the CIF State Division IV playoffs on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Paige Williams, Linfield Christian: Williams, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker, registered 15 kills and 11 blocks in helping the Lions defeat Nordhoff 25-18, 25-20, 22-25, 25-12 in the CIF Southern Section’s Division 6 championship match. It is the second consecutive section title for Linfield Christian and the fourth in the program’s history. Williams’ kill total was one shy of her career-high set in the semifinal victory over St. Bonaventure. Her 11 blocks in the title match also were one shy of her career-best set earlier this season against Ontario Christian.

Ashlyn Couch, Valley Christian: The outside hitter came up big for the Defenders as they upset No. 1 seed Norco for the CIF-SS Division 4 title, delivering a team-best 12 kills and 15 points plus 11 digs in the 25-21, 14-25, 25-13, 25-21 triumph. Couch played the pivotal role in the first set, serving aces on three of four serves as Valley Christian opened a 20-13 lead, and she provided five kills, including the final point, in the third set.

Sydney Morrow, South Pasadena: Kaylen Scott, Port of Los Angeles: Scott recorded 26 kills and four blocks to lead the Polar Bears to a 22-25, 25-14,25-23, 26-24 win over East Valley in the CIF L.A. City Section Division IV championship. In the semifinals, she had 14 kills, nine aces and three blocks against Los Angeles.

Elyse Stowell, Esperanza: The BYU-committed outside hitter recorded 35 kills and 28 digs to help the Aztecs rally past Murrieta Valley 22-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-15, 15-7 to capture the CIF-SS Division 2 title. Stowell drilled a kill on championship point. “Doesn’t surprise me,” Aztecs coach Isaac Owens said. “She has been good all year.”

Hannah Levanen, Los Osos: Levanen, a senior co-captain, led the Grizzlies to the CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinals by sweeping all six of her singles matches last week in 15-3 wins over Glendale and Dos Pueblos. Los Osos lost 10-8 to No. 2 Redondo on Monday, but Levanen has a 60-14 record this season, including 30-0 in league and she was the Baseline League singles champion.

Emma Han, Diamond Bar: Han won the CIF Southern Section Individual Championship at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills with an even-par 72. Han also won the Freelance Tournament, a qualifier for the sectional tournament earlier this season. Han will be one of the favorites to win the CIF State Southern California Regional Tournament that will be held on Thursday in Pasadena.

The Sierra Canyon girls volleyball team topped Esperanza in three straight sets Tuesday night (25-14, 25-16, 25-20) to advance to the CIF State Southern California regional quarterfinal.

Jaylen Jordan led the way with  11 kills, seven digs and two aces. Freshman Jaida Sione added seven kills and three blocks. Senior setter Taylor Simpson had 27 assists.

The No. 1 Trailblazers will host No. 9 Long Beach Poly at 6 p.m. on Thursday night at home.

DIVISION III

Granada Hills Charter, Eagle Rock and Cleveland didn’t have the same success as Sierra Canyon Tuesday night in Division III. The Highlander fell to No. 1 Central Valley Christian (25-14, 25-14, 25-18) and Open Division City champs Eagle Rock lost to Palm Desert (25-8, 25-18, 25-15). Cleveland won its first set against South Pasadena before losing (24-26, 25-22, 25-16, 25-23).

DIVISION IV

Taft cruised its way to the Division IV quarterfinals after taking down Garden Grove at home in three straight sets (25-9, 25-12, 25-12). The Toreadors will now travel to Nordhoff in Ojai on Thursday.

El Camino Real beat Sacred Heart of Jesus (24-26, 28-26, 26-24, 25-21) and will take on Valley View of Moreno Valley on the road Thursday night.

CIF Southern Section Division 8 champion Oakwood fell to Righetti of Santa Maria in a five-set thriller (25-21, 19-25, 25-19, 23-15, 15-4).

Chatsworth came up short on the road to St. Bonaventure in four sets (25-12, 23-25, 25-19, 25-15).

DIVISION V

Trinity Classical Academy, which fell to Oakwood in the Division 8 final, is still alive after sweeping Holtville (25-10, 25-12, 25-14). The Knights will now travel to Elizabeth on Thursday in the quarterfinals.

Grant High’s magical run continues after winning its first-ever City title in program history over the weekend. The Lancers topped Beacon Hill of Camarillo at home in a five sets thanks to Kayla Fray’s team-high 16 kills. Grant will face Kerman at home on Thursday.

MORENO VALLEY >> The manner in which the El Camino Real girls volleyball team lost the second set of Thursday night’s CIF State playoff match could have been devastating for morale. Instead, the Conquistadors kept their heads held high and decided to fight on.

El Camino Real rallied from two sets down, fought off two match points during the fourth set and stunned No. 3-seeded Valley View 12-25, 24-26, 25-22, 28-26, 15-5, in a Division IV regional quarterfinal match. The Conquistadors (23-14-1), the LA City Section’s Open Division consolation champions, head to No. 2-seeded St. Bonaventure (25-8) for Saturday’s regional semifinals.

After a sluggish performance in the opening set, El Camino Real appeared on the verge of tying the match at a set apiece after surging to a 24-19 lead in the second frame. However, Valley View went on a 7-0 run to close out the set and take the two-set lead.

“We just had to pick ourselves up,” said El Camino Real sophomore outside hitter and co-captain Amaya Bernardo, who led the Conquistadors with 17 kills. “We just had a couple of small talks to lift each other up.”

The fourth set was tight the entire way and the lead changed hands a few times during the late stages. Valley View had match points at 24-23 and 25-24, but El Camino Real’s Kayla Ghossein delivered a kill both times to tie the score. Valley View staved off one set point, but back-to-back kills from El Camino Real’s Grace Hazelton and Bernardo sent the match to a fifth set.

Bernardo had the hot hand for the Conquistadors in the deciding set, registering six kills and one error on nine attempts (.556 hitting percentage). El Camino Real raced out to an 8-2 lead, and the closest Valley View got the remainder of the way was four points.

“Volleyball is such a momentum sport, and it can be extremely hard to get it back once you’ve lost it,” Valley View coach Jennifer Barlage said. “They (El Camino Real) began the match a bit nervous but started to pick up their level of play. Our hitting started strong and theirs didn’t, but ours began to drop off and they got stronger… Same thing defensively.”

El Camino Real coach Normelita Imamoto said her team did not lose faith when down two sets.

“I thought we gave up at the end of the second set and made too many passing errors,” Imamoto said. “I told them, ‘I’m not giving up on you, so you need to have the same belief in yourselves. I am happy with how they came back and never stopped fighting.”

The score was tied at six in the opening set, but Valley View went on a 7-0 run with Caylie Barlage on the service line. Barlage served four aces during that trip, helping the Eagles regain the lead. Barlage also had seven kills in the frame to lead the Eagles.

El Camino Real reached set point during the second frame at 24-19 following an ace by Sofia Grzeskowiak, but the Conquistadors had three straight attacking errors to give Valley View (23-8) new life. Jaylah Delone and Barlage had kills to continue the run until the Eagles finally prevailed.

Valley View won a CIF Southern Section championship and also advanced to a state regional championship match in 2015. The program did not qualify for the section playoffs last season, but the Eagles advanced to the CIF-SS Division 7 section semifinals this year.

“Before we even started (the CIF-SS) playoffs, I asked my girls how many of them have played in a CIF match before. We only had two,” Barlage said. “You could see pressure mount with every match, so hopefully they learned a lot from this run and experience. I am so proud of what they have accomplished and told them to hold their heads high.”

Caylie Barlage, who splits time as a setter and outside hitter, finished with a match-high 23 kills. Cydney Bolasky added 10 kills for Valley View. Ghossein had 13 kills for El Camino Real.

CHATSWORTH >> After pounding down the final kill, the emotions nearly overwhelmed Vista Murrieta’s Claire Little.

She fell to her knees as her teammates rushed the court. There were tears, cheers and hugs in the on-court delirium.

And the adrenaline was still pumping after Vista Murrieta’s epic 25-20, 20-25, 25-20, 21-25, 19-17 victory Saturday night at top-seeded Sierra Canyon in the Southern California Regional Division I semifinals to advance to the program’s first regional final.

“I don’t know what to say, really. This is the best feeling, and I’m still processing everything,” Little said.

As Vista Murrieta celebrated on the court and posed for a team photo to commemorate the moment, the Sierra Canyon families and supporters came down on the court and formed a handshake line to congratulate Sierra Canyon on a stellar effort, particularly fending off four match points in the fifth set.

“It’s just very emotional,” Sierra Canyon’s Long Beach State-bound Jaylen Jordan said. “This is the best four years of volleyball I could have asked for, and I’m grateful for this experience and this group of girls.

“I love my team. We’re a unit, and we went out fighting, and that’s all I can ask.”

Coach Stefanie Wigfall said Sierra Canyon (36-4) played at a high level all season, making a semifinal run in the elite CIF Southern Section playoffs and advancing to the semifinals of the Division I Regionals.

“This was one of the most phenomenal seasons we’ve had at Sierra, maybe even more than the state title run we had,” Wigfall said. “I honestly think we got outplayed today, but I am so proud that they still gave themselves chances in the end.”

Vista Murrieta (23-11) is the two-time defending Southwestern League champion, but suffered a first-round CIF Southern Section exit last year with a senior-laden team and lost in the second round of the Division 1 playoffs this season.

That has made this regional run that much sweeter, making the most of its second chance as it advances to play in Tuesday’s Regional final at No. 3 La Costa Canyon, a four-set winner over Foothill.

“The bond we have and the love we have for each other, we are not going to let anything stop us,” Vista Murrieta’s Reka Monteleone said. “We all trust each other. When we come together in the huddle, we’re calm. We’re not stressed. And we all want to be that team that everyone remembers for their rest of our lives.”

Jordan put together a tremendous individual effort with 24 kills to try to push her team through to the final.

“Jaylen put the team on her shoulders,” Wigfall said. “We wanted her to know that she’s strong enough to do that, mentally and physically. And that’s what she did.”

Sidney Montgomery added 12 kills, Jaida Tausa’afia Sione added 11 kills and Addison Peeler added four kills, including a pair in the fifth set to keep Sierra Canyon within striking distance.

Sierra Canyon had trouble containing Vista Murrieta’s triple threat of Little (24 kills), Monteleone (18 kills) and Juliette Russell (18 kills).Combined with a stellar defensive effort led by libero Chloe Scheer, Vista Murrieta put it all together against Sierra Canyon.

“Everything was on the line tonight,” Vista Murrieta setter Molly Wilson said. “If we lost, we’d have to walk out of here and our season would be over. We put forth our best effort. On every play. On every point.”

Vista Murrieta led 12-9 and 14-12, but Sierra Canyon forced ties at 14-14, 15-15 and 16-16 and even took a 17-16 lead.But two consecutive Sierra Canyon hits went long, and Vista Murrieta was able to finished off the match with Little.

“We just had to take a deep breath,” Russell said. “We wanted to make history. We keep saying that it’s ring season and to stay hungry, and we are hungry for that championship.”

Vista Murrieta arrived only an hour before the scheduled 6 p.m. start time due to massive traffic.“But it’s going to be a fun ride home,” Scheer said.

Southern California Girls Athlete of the Week

Athlete: Ashlyn Couch

School: Valley Christian

Sport: Volleyball

Noteworthy: The outside hitter came up big for the Defenders as they upset No. 1 seed Norco for the CIF-SS Division 4 title, delivering a team-best 12 kills and 15 points plus 11 digs in the 25-21, 14-25, 25-13, 25-21 triumph. Couch played the pivotal role in the first set, serving aces on three of four serves as Valley Christian opened a 20-13 lead, and she provided five kills, including the final point, in the third set.

Southern California Girls Athlete of the Week

Athlete: Juliette Russell

School: Vista Murrieta

Sport: Volleyball

Noteworthy: Russell registered 45 kills during the week to help the Broncos win three CIF State Division I regional matches. Russell, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker who signed with Gonzaga last week, had 19 kills and added four blocks in a second-round victory over Mira Costa. She followed up with 19 kills in a five-set victory over top-seeded Sierra Canyon in the regional semis. Vista Murrieta plays at Carlsbad La Costa Canyon for the regional title Tuesday night.

The Southern California News Group honors the region’s top high school athletes for the fall. 

SoCal Varsity Awards section is in the Sunday, Dec. 22 editions of SCNG newspapers.

SOCAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Name: Kami Miner

School: Redondo

Year: Junior

Miner is paving her own athletic path.

The daughter of former Inglewood High and USC basketball star Harold Miner continued her dominance on the volleyball court this season.

After a couple years of near-misses in previous seasons, she helped Redondo win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship.

Redondo had been knocked out of the playoffs in the semifinals in Miner’s first two seasons and lost to Mater Dei in the 2015 final.

Miner, a setter and opposite, showed her athleticism and intelligence on the court throughout the season, running a Redondo offense that was one of the more diversified in the state.

Redondo began its memorable season by winning the Ann Kang Invitational in Hawaii. The Sea Hawks then had to spend the early weeks of September without Miner, who was with the U.S. Youth National team competing at the FIVB U-18 World Championships in Egypt.

Once she returned to the lineup, Redondo swept 17 consecutive matches heading into the CIF-SS Division 1 final, where they defeated Mater Dei for the program’s third CIF-SS title.

The Sea Hawks posted a 38-4 record, which included a loss to Mater Dei in the CIF SoCal Open Division semifinals.

“She loves to play defense and embraces covering her hitters, and she never takes a play off,” Redondo coach Tommy Chaffins said. “That sets a great tone for your culture when your superstar does that.”

2019 All-SoCal Varsity Team 

(Athletes listed by region)

Orange County

Meg Brown, Mater Dei, Sr.

Rachel Fairbainks, Foothill, Sr.

Xolani Hodel, Huntington Beach, Sr.

Abby Karich, Los Alamitos, Sr.

Molly Joyce, Corona del Mar, Jr.

Haley Schroeder, Beckman, Sr.

Jessica Smith, Aliso Niguel, Jr.

Elyse Stowell, Esperanza, Jr.

Mia Tuaniga, Mater Dei, Sr.

Riverside & Inland

Kimberly DeBoer, Murrieta Valley, Sr.

Brooklyn Frederick, Chaparral, Jr.

Gabby Hollins, Paloma Valley, Sr.

Claire Little, Vista Murrieta, Fr.

Chloe Scheer, Vista Murrieta, Sr.

Paige Williams, Linfield Christian, Sr.

Molly Wilson, Vista Murrieta, Jr.

Sydney McNeill, Norco, Jr.

Gaby Arretche-Ramos, Alta Loma, Sr.

Selena Balderas, Ontario Christian, Sr.

Jacquelyn Barrett, Citrus Valley, Sr.

Jenna Giambi, Upland, Sr.

Jenna Holmes, Ontario Christian, Sr.

Preslee Lillard, Rancho Cucamonga, Jr.

Giselle Vogel, Ontario Christian, Sr.

Kylie Thomas, Cajon, Sr.

San Gabriel Valley

Peyton DeJardin, Flintridge Sacred Heart

Jillian DeLeon, La Serna

Lola Foord, South Pasadena

Kathy Porter, Los Altos

Chloe Howell, La Salle

Ella Mao, Pasadena Poly

Zoey Mao, Pasadena Poly, Setter

Daily News

Katie Fleck, Westlake, Sr.

Jade Fuentes, Eagle Rock, Sr.

Allison Jacobs, West Ranch, Sr.

Kendall Jensen, Village Christian, Sr.

Jaylen Jordan, Sierra Canyon, Sr.

Isabella Martinez, Chaminade, So.

Taylor Simpson, Sierra Canyon, Jr.

Long Beach

Adonia Faumuina, Long Beach Poly, So.

Laura Williams, Lakewood, So.

Abby Karich, Los Alamitos, Sr.

Risa Sena, Wilson, Jr.

Isabella Bareford, St. Anthony, Sr.

Rachel Lim, Valley Christian, Jr.

Rachel Gonzales, Valley Christian, Jr.

Daily Breeze

Mele Corral-Blagovich, Redondo, Fr.

Nalani Iosia, Redondo, Sr.

Jodie Smith, Redondo, Sr.

Amanda Burns, Mira Costa, Jr.

Takenya Stafford, Bishop Montgomery, Jr.

SoCal Varsity Awards section is in Sunday, Dec. 22 editions of SCNG newspapers.

About the section: The award winners and teams were selected by the high school sports reporters for the Southern California News Group, which includes the Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News, Riverside Press-Enterprise, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star News, Daily Breeze, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Daily Bulletin, San Bernardino Sun, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts.

The Southern California News Group honors the top high school athletes for the fall sports with its SoCal Varsity Sports Awards.

SCNG’s team of high school sports reporters have selected the Athletes of the Year and All-SoCal teams in football, girls volleyball, boys water polo, girls tennis, boys and girls cross country and girls golf.

Read all of the stories online (links below) and in a special section that is included in all of SCNG’s newspapers on Sunday, Dec. 22.

SOCAL VARSITY FALL SPORTS AWARDS

Football | Athlete of the Year: Bryce Young, Mater Dei | All-SoCal First Team |

Girls volleyball | Athlete of the Year: Kami Miner, Redondo | All-SoCal First Team |

Boys water polo | Athlete of the Year: Nolan Krutonog, Daily News | All-SoCal First Team |

Girls tennis | Athlete of the Year: Kammi Hance, Peninsula | All-SoCal First Team |

Boys cross country | Athlete of the Year: Nico Young, Newbury Park | All-SoCal First Team |

Girls cross coutnry | Athlete of the Year: Savannah Scriven, Palos Verdes | All-SoCal First Team | 

Girls golf | Athlete of the Year: Caroline Canales, Calabasas | All-SoCal First Team

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now.

(The all-area girls volleyball team will run in print on Jan. 3.)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jaylen Jordan, Sierra Canyon, Sr.

A four-year varsity player, outstanding leaper, great leader with a killer instinct, and now Jordan is also the Daily News girls volleyball player of the year.

Jordan, a senior who comes from a family with an incredible sports resume, capped her illustrious career at Sierra Canyon with 426 kills, 222 digs, 37 blocks and 34 aces this season, which left her second all-time in program history in kills (1,399) and digs (956), and third in blocks (151).

It’s fair to say, she left her mark.

“Jordan’s versatility in this program is something that we may never see again,” Sierra Canyon coach Stefanie Wigfall said. “She passes, attacks, blocks, defends and serves at a very high level.”

The Trailblazers were the only local team to earn a berth in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Sierra Canyon reached the semifinals, where it lost to the eventual champion, Redondo Union, before making a spirited run to the CIF State SoCal Regional semifinals. The Trailblazers amassed a 36-4 record.

In addition to her versatility, Jordan was also an iron man on the court, according to Wigfall.

“I think she missed one match her whole career, maybe two,” Wigfall said. “I can count on one hand how many times I subbed her out of a game. She was always on the floor.”

Jordan will compete next fall at Long Beach State, adding to the list of NCAA Division I players to come out of the Sierra Canyon program in recent seasons. The most notable are Michigan’s May Pertofsky (a two-time Daily News Player of the Year), UC Santa Barbara’s Zoe Fleck and Yale’s Zoie Stewart.

It is the third consecutive year Sierra Canyon has produced the Daily News girls volleyball player of the year.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Art Yang, Grant

Yang guided his team to the program’s first City title and the school’s first since 2001. After claiming a City crown, the team then etched itself even deeper in the school history books with a CIF Regional SoCal victory over Beacon Hill of Camarillo in five sets.

FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR

Gia Frank, Oakwood and Geraldine Martinez, Chatsworth

Frank and Martinez are players to watch in the future.

Frank led Oakwood to its first Southern Section volleyball title and was named the Division 8 player of the year. She tallied 782 assists, 528 kills, 104 aces and 83 blocks.

Martinez was named the City Section Division I player of the year after leading the Chancellors to the City title. Martinez had 301 kills, 240 digs and 52 aces as an outside hitter for coach Sina Aghassy.

ALL-AREA FIRST TEAM

Peyton DeJardin, Flintridge Sacred Heart, So.

Eloise Estrada, Calabasas, Sr.

Katie Fleck, Westlake, Sr.

Jade Fuentes, Eagle Rock, Sr.

Allison Jacobs, West Ranch, Sr.

Kendall Jensen, Village Christian, Sr.

Ruth Kayongo, Alemany, Sr.

Isabella Martinez, Chaminade, So.

Taylor Simpson, Sierra Canyon, Jr.

Taryn Slater, Oakwood, Sr.

ALL-AREA SECOND TEAM

Deja Bickers, Viewpoint, Sr.

Brianna Botello, Cleveland, Sr.

Ruby Duncan, Hart, Sr.

Kayla Fray, Grant, So.

Kayla Ghossein, El Camino Real, Sr.

Wendy Jurenec, Eagle Rock, Sr.

Lila Mundy, Oakwood, So.

Annika Reff, Buckley, Sr.

Jaida Sione, Sierra Canyon, Fr.

Nieko Thomas, Taft, Sr.

Calista Wright, Westlake, Sr.