CIF San Diego Section Boys Volleyball Championships
When: Saturday
Where: Francis Parker School
Tickets: $15 for adults, $9 for students and seniors. Children under 5 are free.
Open Division: (2) Torrey Pines (33-7) vs. (1) Carlsbad (34-2), 4 p.m.
Preview: Torrey Pines is the No. 7 team in the nation, according to MaxPreps. The Falcons are defending Open Division champions and have been nipping at the heels of the Lancers all season. Torrey Pines beat Canyon Crest Academy and Classical Academy twice to reach the title match. The Falcons’ multi-faceted offense spreads the ball to Ben Soudak (381 kills), Declan Flanagan (330) and Bjorn Hawe (208). … Carlsbad is ranked No. 4 in the nation by both MaxPreps and USA Today Sports/AVCA. The Lancers’ two losses have come to the same team — Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, the consensus No. 1 team in the nation. Carlsbad has lost only 12 sets all season, including one in the playoffs in otherwise dominant performances against Granite Hills and Francis Parker twice. Middles Roman Payne (Hawaii) and Oliver Doty (Harvard) are first and third on the squad in kills with 384 and 200. Second is outside Derek Bashford with 255. Bashford also leads in both digs (127) and aces (58). Setter Ben Sauerwine has nearly 1,000 assists on the season.
Division 2: (5) La Jolla (18-22) vs. (2) Clairemont (25-10), 1:30 p.m.
Preview: La Jolla beat Mt. Carmel, San Marcos and Coronado to get to the championship match after finishing in last place in the Western League. The Vikings have three players with at least 200 kills, led by Ben Salmon’s 424. Jake Morrison has 252 and Myles Plaskonos 214 … After a first-round bye, Clairemont beat Pacific Ridge and San Dieguito Academy. The Chieftains beat La Jolla twice in the regular season. Senior Makoa Miner is the kill leader with 412. Fellow seniors Gabe Tocco (335) and Sam Reedholm (223) are also hitters to watch.
Division 4: (4) Fallbrook (24-14) vs. (1) High Tech-Mesa (16-12), 11 a.m.
Preview: Following a first-round bye, Fallbrook swept Ramona and top-seeded San Pasqual, a team it had lost to twice this season. The Warriors are led by junior hitter Joshua Robertson, who has 379 kills and is third on the team with 201 digs … High Tech-Mesa swept Victory Christian, then was taken to five by West Hills. The Thunder tied for first in the Summit League and are on a nine-match winning streak.
— TIM MEEHAN
