The race for California high school girls volleyball championships is heating up, with Cathedral Catholic making a major statement in San Diego and Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon continuing to lead the Southern Section.
Cathedral Catholic defeated Torrey Pines in straight sets at the Southern California Volleyball Invitational, a result that helped the Dons climb to No. 7 in the latest High School On SI California Top 20 rankings.
Torrey Pines, previously ranked third, drops to No. 8.
Meanwhile, Mater Dei retains the No. 1 position, followed by Sierra Canyon. The two Southern California powers remain leading contenders for the CIF Southern Section championship.
Mira Costa moves up to No. 3 after securing the Bay League title, while Los Alamitos climbs to fourth following an unbeaten Sunset League campaign.
With section playoffs approaching, the competition for postseason positioning is intensifying throughout the state.
Cathedral Catholic Changes the San Diego Section Race
Cathedral Catholic delivered one of the most significant results of the week by defeating Torrey Pines 25-20, 25-20 at the Southern California Volleyball Invitational hosted by Westview.
The Dons also swept host Westview 25-14, 25-14 before defeating West Ranch of Valencia 25-19, 25-19 in the championship match.
Sophomore standout Baylee Wilson earned tournament MVP honors.
The victory over Torrey Pines was particularly important because the Falcons had occupied the No. 3 position in the state rankings.
The teams are scheduled to meet again Friday, Oct. 16, at Cathedral Catholic in a matchup that could provide another indication of how the San Diego Section championship race might unfold.
The tournament also supported a cause beyond volleyball, with proceeds benefiting Hodgkin lymphoma treatment for Westview assistant coach Taimani Toilolo, who previously played for Cathedral Catholic coach Julianna Conn.
Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon Remain Southern Section Favorites
Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon continue to occupy the top two positions in the rankings, with both programs putting together outstanding seasons.
Mater Dei enters the latest rankings at 34-1, while Sierra Canyon is 28-1.
The Monarchs hold the top spot in part because of their victory over Sierra Canyon at the Durango Invitational.
Mater Dei has continued its strong play with recent sweeps of JSerra Catholic and Orange Lutheran.
UCLA commit Westley Matavao recorded 14 kills against Orange Lutheran while hitting .571. Kalea Lee added 15 assists and four aces, while Riley Stringer contributed 14 assists.
Sierra Canyon has been equally impressive since the Durango tournament.
The Trailblazers have not dropped a set since that event, including a 25-17, 25-20, 25-19 sweep of Marymount on Oct. 6 that secured the Mission League championship.
Hanna McGinest recorded 17 kills and hit .500 against Marymount, while Kendall Omoruyi added 11 kills with a .533 attack percentage. Setter Lucky Fasavalu distributed 41 assists.
The two programs are positioned as leading contenders to meet in the Southern Section championship match Nov. 7.
The Southern California regional playoffs follow Nov. 10-17, with the CIF State Championships scheduled for Nov. 20-21 at Santiago Canyon College in Orange.
High School On SI California Girls Volleyball Top 20
Records through Oct. 11, 2026. Previous rankings in parentheses.
1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana (34-1)
Previous rank: 1
The Monarchs retain the top spot after sweeping JSerra Catholic and Orange Lutheran.
Against Orange Lutheran, UCLA commit Westley Matavao recorded 14 kills on 21 attacks with only two errors, finishing with a .571 hitting percentage.
Kalea Lee contributed 15 assists and four aces, while Riley Stringer added 14 assists.
Mater Dei's victory over Sierra Canyon at the Durango Invitational remains an important factor in the rankings.
2. Sierra Canyon, Chatsworth (28-1)
Previous rank: 2
Sierra Canyon secured the Mission League championship with a 25-17, 25-20, 25-19 sweep of Marymount on Oct. 6.
Hanna McGinest led the Trailblazers with 17 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Kendall Omoruyi added 11 kills while hitting .533, and Lucky Fasavalu recorded 41 assists.
Sierra Canyon hit .299 as a team and has not lost a set since the Durango Invitational.
3. Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach (19-6)
Previous rank: 4
The Mustangs move into the top three after defeating rival Redondo Union 25-19, 25-21, 20-25, 25-23 to secure the Bay League championship.
Lily Vandeweghe led Mira Costa with 19 kills, while Lerin Rosenthal added 13.
Izzy Basilio recorded 26 assists, and freshman Emerson Harper contributed 19.
4. Los Alamitos (28-6)
Previous rank: 5
The Griffins captured the Sunset League championship with a perfect 12-0 conference record.
Los Alamitos defeated Newport Harbor twice during league play, winning one meeting in four sets and the other in five.
The Griffins also swept Corona del Mar as they prepared for the Southern Section playoffs.
5. Newport Harbor, Newport Beach (25-6)
Previous rank: 6
Newport Harbor moves up after defeating Corona del Mar in five sets, 25-17, 23-25, 23-25, 25-9, 15-4.
After dropping the second and third sets, the Sailors dominated the final two, outscoring Corona del Mar 40-13.
6. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita (17-9)
Previous rank: 7
The Eagles defeated JSerra Catholic in four sets behind 22 kills from Ireland Real, who posted a .359 hitting percentage.
Santa Margarita followed with a sweep of Orange Lutheran, receiving 11 kills from Katherine Jackson and 10 from Real.
7. Cathedral Catholic, San Diego (25-5)
Previous rank: 8
Cathedral Catholic moves up after winning the Southern California Volleyball Invitational at Westview.
The Dons swept Westview 25-14, 25-14, defeated Torrey Pines 25-20, 25-20 and beat West Ranch 25-19, 25-19 in the championship match.
Baylee Wilson was named tournament MVP.
The victory over Torrey Pines provides Cathedral Catholic with an important head-to-head result as the San Diego Section playoffs approach.
8. Torrey Pines, San Diego (20-5)
Previous rank: 3
The Falcons fall five positions following their two-set loss to Cathedral Catholic.
Parker Herrin and Torrey Pines will have an opportunity to respond when the teams meet again Oct. 16 at Cathedral Catholic.
9. Marymount, Los Angeles (21-10)
Previous rank: 9
Marymount remains ninth after facing difficult competition, including national power Cornerstone Christian of San Antonio and Sierra Canyon.
The Sailors lost to Sierra Canyon in straight sets but remained competitive throughout the match.
10. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City (18-11)
Previous rank: 10
Harvard-Westlake holds the final position in the top 10 behind a balanced offensive attack.
Sophia Cotter, Lucy Stillwell, Ruby Sampson, Brooke Cotter and Kahala Faucher each have between 135 and 193 kills this season.
11. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose (19-5)
Previous rank: 11
Archbishop Mitty remains in contention for another West Catholic Athletic League championship and a strong postseason run.
Stanford commit Chayse Courtney leads the Monarchs as they prepare for competition that could include Northern California contenders from the Marin County Athletic League and Sierra Foothill League.
12. Orange Lutheran (24-7)
Previous rank: 12
The Lancers retain their position despite recent losses to Mater Dei and Santa Margarita.
Those results came against two of the Southern Section's strongest programs, and Orange Lutheran remains a potential postseason threat.
13. Crean Lutheran (23-4)
Previous rank: 14
Crean Lutheran rises after completing an unbeaten 8-0 Crestview League campaign.
The Saints recently swept Canyon of Anaheim and Cypress, adding to a season that has positioned them for the Southern Section playoffs.
14. Monte Vista, Danville (24-4)
Previous rank: 15
Monte Vista remains unbeaten in East Bay Athletic League play at 12-0, holding a one-game advantage over Foothill.
Kennedy Whyte helped lead the Mustangs to tournament victories over St. Mary's of Stockton and St. Francis of Sacramento.
Monte Vista defeated St. Mary's 24-26, 26-24, 15-7 and St. Francis 26-24, 25-19 before losing to Rocklin 25-16, 26-24.
15. Oaks Christian, Westlake Village (24-2)
Previous rank: 16
The Lions continue their strong season, leading the Marmonte League with a 10-0 conference record.
Oaks Christian has won 21 consecutive matches after opening the season 3-2.
Tristyn Bailey leads the team with 273 kills, while Elyse Wong has contributed 242.
16. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance (20-4)
Previous rank: 18
Bishop Montgomery moves up two spots after testing itself against strong tournament competition.
The Knights defeated Santa Margarita and Redondo Union while suffering losses to Los Alamitos and Oaks Christian.
Bishop Montgomery also leads the Del Rey League.
17. St. Francis, Sacramento (22-3)
Previous rank: 13
The Troubadours fall four positions after losing a five-set match to Folsom.
Folsom won 15-25, 25-14, 21-25, 25-17, 15-9, creating a three-way tie atop the Sierra Foothill League.
St. Francis is scheduled to visit Rocklin on Oct. 20 in another important league matchup.
18. Rocklin (32-6)
Previous rank: 17
Rocklin drops one position despite victories over San Ramon Valley and Monte Vista.
The Thunder defeated San Ramon Valley 25-18, 11-25, 15-8 and Monte Vista 25-16, 26-24.
Iliya Little recorded 10 kills against Monte Vista.
Rocklin subsequently lost to St. Francis of Mountain View, 25-22, 25-15.
19. Buchanan, Clovis (23-11)
Previous rank: 20
Buchanan rises one spot while continuing to lead the Tri-River League with a 7-0 record.
The Bears defeated Clovis West 17-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-14 behind 24 kills from Keira Nelson.
Tournament losses to Long Beach Poly and Thousand Oaks remain part of Buchanan's recent résumé.
20. St. Francis, Mountain View (18-6)
Previous rank: Not ranked
St. Francis enters the Top 20 after recording tournament sweeps over Rocklin and St. Francis of Sacramento.
The victories provide important momentum for coach Lake Merchen's team heading into the postseason.
On the Bubble
Murrieta Valley, Coronado, St. Mary's of Stockton, San Ramon Valley, Foothill, Redondo Union, Long Beach Poly, Mayfield and West Ranch.
Have a question or comment about the rankings? Email Gordon Kass.
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