Victory means advancing

Patrick Laverty

The CIF Southern Section playoffs resume today in girls tennis and

volleyball and four teams from the Newport-Mesa area will attempt to

stave off elimination.

In volleyball, Corona del Mar will attempt to reach the CIF

Southern Section Division III-A final by defeating Sherman Oaks Notre

Dame on the road at 7 p.m. Newport Harbor will be trying to return to

the Division II-AA title match by knocking off Edison, also on the

road at 7 p.m.

Two tennis teams will be playing quarterfinal matches. In Division

I, Corona del Mar, winners of eight section championships, will take

on Mater Dei at 2 p.m. at Los Caballeros Racquet Club in Fountain

Valley. Sage Hill, the No. 1 seed in the Division V, will travel to

San Dimas for a 2 p.m. match.

The volleyball brackets have held form, with the top four seeds

advancing to the semifinals in both Division II-AA and Division

III-A.

Newport Harbor will attempt to hold form as well, seeking a return

to the Division II-AA championship game. The Sailors won the title

last season and reached the Division II Southern California Regional

Final.

Standing in the way of the second-seeded Sailors (23-5) and Coach

Dan Glenn, in his 18th season, is Sunset League champion Edison

(17-2), seeded third.

Newport Harbor has advanced with three-game victories over Villa

Park and Katella and a four-game win over El Dorado. The Chargers are

fresh off three straight three-game victories against Anaheim, West

Valley and Dos Pueblos.

On the opposite side of the bracket, No. 1 Mira Costa plays No. 4

Capistrano Valley in the other semifinal.

Corona del Mar will be attempting to break form and reach a

championship match for the first time since 1997, when the Sea Kings

won the Division III-AA crown.

Every year since then, the Sea Kings have fallen in the

semifinals. Seeded No. 2 in the Division III-A bracket, Corona del

Mar (20-8) will attempt to avoid a similar fate against Notre Dame

(18-6).

Corona del Mar advanced with a pair of three-game victories over

Beaumont and Santa Ynez. Notre Dame has earned playoff victories over

Costa Mesa and Nordhoff.

In the other semifinal, No. 1 Bishop Montgomery battles No. 4 La

Canada.

The Sea Kings’ girls tennis team will be attempting to match the

volleyball team’s semifinal appearance by avenging a loss to Mater

Dei earlier this season.

The Monarchs (18-0) defeated CdM (14-4), 10-8, in the Sea Kings’

opening match of the season. But Corona del Mar comes into this

quarterfinal matchup having won 11 straight matches.

Mater Dei, which won CIF section championships in 1998 and 1999,

finished the regular season undefeated for the first time in school

history.

Awaiting the winner is top-seeded and undefeated Peninsula, which

defeated CdM, 12-6, earlier this season.

In Division V, Sage Hill, the top seed, will attempt to better its

quarterfinal appearance of a season ago. The Lightning (17-3) can

advance to Thursday’s semifinals with a victory over San Dimas

(15-4). A victory and Sage Hill would face the winner of No. 4 seed

Malibu and Santa Ynez.