Delta #1 to open what may be anyone's race in the CCCWVCA State Top 25

San Joaquin Delta the early #1 on women's volleyball CCCWVCA State Top 25 Rankings.
San Joaquin Delta the early #1 on women's volleyball CCCWVCA State Top 25 Rankings.
September 4, 2023

The first CCCWVCA State Top 25 Rankings already has some intrigue as separation between the top teams in each region seems to be slimmer than ever.

The last four state champions, though, have come from the North Region and in the last two years the state tournament featured an all-North final four with Feather River winning the championship last season.

Five Big 8 Conference teams are on the top 25 with San Joaquin Delta occupying the #1 position.

  1. SAN JOAQUIN DELTA, Big 8, 4-0: While the Mustangs haven't faced the big guns yet, they have four straight sweeps and a roster that features returning, 5-foot-10 All-American Kiyah Irby (State Player of the Week #1) and four other players who are 6 feet or taller. This week, the school hosts its annual Delta Classic, which will include the region's top squads, on Sept. 7-9. Delta is directed by last year's North Coach of the Year in Molly Hummel. NorCal #1; Last Year's Final Ranking: #3
  2. GROSSMONT, Pacific Coast Athletic, 6-0: The Griffins advanced to their third consecutive state tourney last year and have a heavy veteran lineup that includes three returning starters, led by setter Chelsee Trendler. Grossmont has 4-set wins already over Canyons, Santa Barbara, and El Camino. SoCal #1; Last Year's Final Ranking: #7
  3. SIERRA, Big 8, 5-1: The Wolverines started with a sweep over defending state champ Feather River, but the Golden Eagles returned the favor with a sweep over Sierra just five days later. Sierra though earned a nice 4-set win over Fresno and are led by State Player of the Week #2 setter in Jordyn Deter. NorCal #2; Last Year's Final Ranking: #19
  4. FEATHER RIVER, Golden Valley, 6-2: The 2022 state champs saw a 34-match win streak stopped by Sierra and then rattled off six straight victories (including a 5-set thriller over American River) before San Mateo ended that streak in five sets. GVC has a nearly brand new roster of talent but return libero and current state digs leader Katherine Gee. NorCal #3; Last Year's Final Ranking: #1
  5. IRVINE VALLEY, Orange Empire, 3-0: The Lasers, the last SoCal state champ in 2017, have a young new head coach in former IVC player Anna Unke and have nice sweeps over Canyons, Mt. San Antonio and Moorpark. Irvine features one of the state's most dynamic players in Tessa Marocco, averaging six kills a set to top state hitters. SoCal #2; Last Year's Final Ranking: #11
  6. VENTURA, Western State North, 4-0: The Pirates return All-American OH Kayla Murdoch and are off to another strong start under last year's SoCal Coach of the Year Brad Lyans. Ventura have four sweeps, including over Pasadena and Orange Coast. SoCal #3; Last Year's Final Ranking: #9
  7. SAN DIEGO MESA, Pacific Coast Athletic, 5-0: The Olympians will certainly give Grossmont a fight for this year's PCAC title and have impressive 4-set wins over Bakersfield and Santa Barbara after sweeping Desert, Santa Monica and Mt. San Antonio. Mesa has a star OH in Kalen Jager, who pounded 80 kills in the last four wins alone. SoCal #4; Last Year's Final Ranking: #10
  8. SAN MATEO, Coast South, 1-1: The Bulldogs feel battle-tested already after earning a 5-set win over Feather River after losing to American River in five sets to open its season. Middle blocker Olivia Harrison had 12 kills, hit .636 and added six blocks in the FRC victory. NorCal #4; Last Year's Final Ranking: #4
  9. AMERICAN RIVER, Big 8, 3-2: A state champion in 2018, the Beavers have advanced to every state tournament since and were state runner-up last year under head coach Carson Lowden. ARC lost to Feather River in 5, beat San Mateo in 5, and lost to Fresno in four sets in early matches. OH Morgan Castaneda is a top player. NorCal #5; Last Year's Final Ranking: #2
  10. FRESNO CITY, Central Valley, 3-1: The Rams beat Hartnell in 4, swept West Valley, and downed American River in four before it went a hard four sets in a loss to Sierra, outscored only 100-95 in points. Fresno won state titles in 2016 and 2021 and have a solid OH in Druegan Davis, who ripped 18 kills in the loss to Sierra and 16 in the ARC victory. NorCal #6; Last Year's Final Ranking: #14
  11. CYPRESS, Orange Empire, 6-0: The Chargers are off to a tremendous start under new head coach Danko Iordanov. Cypress recorded a 4-set win over Pasadena, then need five sets each to get by East Los Angeles and then Rio Hondo (15-13) to win the LA Mission Kickoff Classic title. Cypress is paced by State Player of the Week #1 in Shayna Martinez, who scored 21 kills v. ELAC and 19 in the RHC triumph. SoCal #5; Last Year's Final Ranking: #23
  12. SANTA ROSA JC, Big 8, 8-0: The Bear Cubs are running over their non-conference opponents with eight sweeps to open the year. SRJC will find out how it stands among the North elite when it plays v. Feather River at the Delta Classic this week. MB Aleah Molina has been her team's points leader in the early going. NorCal #7; Last Year's Final Ranking: Not Ranked
  13. MOORPARK, Western State North, 3-1: The Raiders are always in the thick of the South's elite and made the state tournament last year.  After three straight sweeps, Moorpark was taken down by Irvine in three sets. The Raiders have a good one in Cashe Olswang who has 44 kills in their four matches. SoCal #6; Last Year's Final Ranking: #5
  14. PASADENA CITY, South Coast, 4-2: The Lancers have a mostly veteran team with four returning starters and nine lettermen who played and took Grossmont to five sets in last year's regionals elimination loss. PCC suffered a 4-set defeat v. Cypress and was swept by Ventura but have won three straight, including a sweep over Bakersfield. State Player of the Week #2 Reese Roper is one the team's standouts. SoCal #7; Last Year's Final Ranking: #17
  15. ORANGE COAST, Orange Empire, 3-1: The Pirates, a state tourney quarterfinalist last season, began with three consecutive wins, including in four sets over Rio Hondo, before Ventura handed them a sweep. Opposite Kingsley Mason had a strong season opener for OCC. SoCal #8; Last Year's Final Ranking: #8
  16. BAKERSFIELD, Western State South, 2-2: The Renegades scored victories over South Coast members Mt. San Antonio and El Camino, but ran into tough defeats v. San Diego Mesa (four sets) and Pasadena. However, they had a 33-31 third set loss that tilted the match to Mesa and v. PCC they lost by two points in each of the first two sets, including 27-25 before handed a sweep. Brianna Bower has been a go-to hitter with double figures in kills in all four Bakersfield matches. SoCal #9; Last Year's Final Ranking: #T25
  17. MT. SAN ANTONIO, South Coast, 3-3: The Mounties have a 4-set win over Santa Barbara and a sweep over Santa Monica while getting swept by higher-ranked teams in Bakersfield, Irvine Valley and San Diego Mesa. OH Andrea Brewer had a 21 kill, 20 dig performance v. SBCC. SoCal #10, Last Year's Final Ranking: #16
  18. SANTA BARBARA CITY, Western State North, 3-4: The Vaqueros took a set from strong teams in all four of their defeats v. Grossmont, Mt. SAC, Pasadena and SD Mesa. The team has sweeps over El Camino and Chaffey. Opposite Chaya Clemons is the early team points leader. SoCal #11; Last Year's Final Ranking: #12
  19. HARTNELL, Coast North, 2-2: The Panthers took Fresno to four sets in a loss and was swept by Delta, and have a nice 4-set win over Solano. Hartnell has a talented player in Renee Natchtigall, who reached double digits in kills in all four of the team's matches. NorCal #8; Last Year's Final Ranking: #18
  20. SOLANO, Bay Valley, 4-2: After a 4-set loss to Hartnell and being swept by Delta, the Falcons have roared back with four consecutive wins, all sweeps including over Sequoias and Folsom Lake. Malia Decelle has led Solano points thus far. NorCal #9; Last Year's Final Ranking: Not Ranked
  21. LASSEN, Golden Valley, 9-0: The state leader in victories, the Cougars had a wild 5-set win over Los Medanos and will find out how good they really are when they take part in the Delta Classic later this week. Cayton White has been efficient for Lassen with 109 kills and 117 digs. NorCal #10; Last Year's Final Ranking: Not Ranked
  22. LONG BEACH CITY, South Coast, 3-0: The Vikings started with a big 4-set victory over Canyons and have two sweeps. Pearlnaiah Tuliau is a top player. SoCal #12; Last Year's Final Ranking: Not Ranked
  23. CANYONS, Western State South, 1-3: The Cougars, a state tourney quarterfinalist last season, always play a tough non-conference schedule and had a strong showing in their 4-set loss to Grossmont while going 29-27 in the final set in their 4-set defeat v. LBCC. A COC player to watch is MB Leah Gillie. SoCal #13; Last Year's Final Ranking: #6
  24. CABRILLO, Coast North, 0-2: While the Seahawks have two losses, both were in four sets v. formidable opponents in Feather River and Sierra. Setter Mikaila Kronholm broke 30 assists in both matches. NorCal #11; Last Year's Final Ranking: #13
     T25. EAST LOS ANGELES, South Coast, 5-1: The Huskies won four in a row, took Cypress to five sets in a loss, and have three sweeps. OH Roselia Cazares is a top player. SoCal #T14; Last Year's Final Ranking: Not Ranked
     T25. RIO HONDO, South Coast, 4-3: The Roadrunners nearly knocked off Cypress, losing 15-13 in the final set of the LAM tourney final that stopped a 4-match win streak (all sweeps).  RHC lost in five to Santa Monica and and in four to Orange Coast. Herlinda Casanova was third in the state in digs with 118. SoCal #T14; Last Year's Final Ranking: #24
     T25. SACRAMENTO CITY, Big 8: 6-2: The Panthers have won five in a row, including beating Los Medanos in five sets. They lost to Lassen in four. MB Lydia Rylander leads the team in points.  NorCal #12; Last Year's Final Ranking: Not Ranked
     BEST OF THE REST
    West Valley, Coast South, 1-1: NorCal #13; Last Year's Final Ranking: #T25
     De Anza, Coast North, 2-4: NorCal #14
     Cerritos, South Coast, 3-0
    Folsom Lake, Big 8, 3-1: NorCal #15; Last Year's Final Ranking: #20
     Modesto, Big 8, 4-1
    Cerritos, South Coast, 3-0
    Taft, Central Valley, 3-3
     Cosumnes River, Big 8, 3-1
    Los Medanos, Bay Valley, 2-4
    Sequoias, Central Valley, 0-4: Last Year's Final Ranking: #22
    Cuesta, Western State North, 3-1
    Golden West, Orange Empire, 1-1
    Saddleback, Orange Empire, 1-1
    Santa Monica, Western State South, 1-3: Last Year's Final Ranking: #15
     Santa Ana, Orange Empire, 2-1: Last Year's Final Ranking: #22
     San Bernardino Valley, Inland Empire Athletic, 4-2
    Mt. San Jacinto, Inland Empire Athletic, 4-3
    Los Angeles Mission, Western State North, 4-4
     West Los Angeles, Western State South, 3-0
     MiraCosta, Pacific Coast Athletic, 1-2: Last Year's Final Ranking: #T25

Rankings/Release by Robert Lewis, CCCWVCA SID