If you went looking for a Foothill League girls volleyball team lately, the CIF-Southern Section rankings wouldn’t be a good place to start.
League teams found themselves on the outside looking in in the final polls released Friday, so it should come as no surprise that only one of its four playoff teams earned a home game.
Valencia (17-11) and West Ranch (19-6-1) tied for the Foothill crown with identical 9-1 league records. The Vikings, though, earned the Foothill’s No. 1 seed because in head-to-head competition with the Wildcats, Valencia won four games to West Ranch’s three.
MORE volleyball: West Ranch clinches share of first ever league title
Vikings coach Ray Sanchez was pleased, all things considered, with his team’s placement — a first-round, Division 1 home match against Mission League No. 3 Harvard-Westlake on Tuesday.
“I was kind of happy actually,” he said. “… I didn’t expect a good draw.”
Sanchez said he expected to play D1’s No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the second round. Instead, the Vikings would likely play the No. 4 seed Edison, if both teams advanced.
West Ranch didn’t receive a home match in Division 3. The Wildcats will play on the road against Marmonte League No. 2 Agoura (17-7) on Tuesday. A win would likely set up a match with the division’s No. 5-ranked team, Bishop Montgomery of Torrance.
Also in Division 3, Saugus (16-15) will play Notre Dame Academy of Los Angeles (18-10), champions of the Sunshine League, on the road at 6 p.m.
The Centurions tied for third place in the Foothill League with Hart. But based on head-to-head games won, the Indians received the higher playoff bid.
Hart (12-9) will be on the road against Sunshine League No. 2 Marlborough (7-5) in Division 2.
In Division 9, Heritage League champion Trinity Classical Academy will host a wild card winner, and Santa Clarita Christian will play at Coast Union, champions of the Coast Valley League.
That match has been pushed up to 6 p.m.
Albert Einstein Academy will host Shalhevet High, the No. 3 team out of the Mulholland League, at 6 p.m. at Legacy Volleyball Club.
