The CIF-Southern Section released its 2019 girls volleyball preseason rankings on Monday and two Santa Clarita Valley teams made the list as the Valencia Vikings and Trinity Classical Academy Knights landed within the top 15 and top 12 in their respective divisions.
The Valencia girls team, led by head coach Ray Sanchez, made the cut for the CIF-SS Division 3 list after playing in Division 1 a season ago.
The Vikings finished the season with an 11-23 overall record and in last place in the Foothill League standings, winning two league games all year against West Ranch toward the beginning of league play and defeated Golden Valley in the final game of the regular season. Both matches were won in three consecutive games.
Playing talented programs from the start of the season until the end, the Vikings return a very experienced varsity team in 2019 as they only lost two seniors, Koehler Compayre and Katelyn Pucci to graduation.
Going through the D1 wringer, the Vikings’ schedule was loaded with powerhouse after powerhouse program to say the least, playing Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks twice, Westlake and Redondo Union. All of those teams finished within the top 20 CIF-SS Division 1 teams last year.
The Vikings return seniors Aly Grodell and Jaela Bernard along with juniors Kendall Thompson and Avery Cop who all proved that they can play among elite level D1 talent.
The Vikings open the season with a home game against Notre Dame Academy at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Trinity makes the Division 8 top 12 list after finishing 2018 in third place in the Heritage League standings at 5-5 and making a run into the playoffs. The Knights fell in the quarterfinals to eventual runner up Rancho Christian.
The Knights lost four pivotal seniors from last year’s roster including the Knights kill leader and Life Pacific College commit Hannah Caddow, Ellie Howell, Heidi Schafer and Mary Macadam to graduation.
Just as the Vikings did, the Knights reloaded with the team’s second and fourth kill leaders, seniors Paige Kim and Tamar Tchilingirian, who finished with 140 and 64 kills each, respectively.
Reagan Fernandez, Nicole Amoroso and Riley Spector return to lead a refortified Knights team.
Finishing the regular season with a thrilling five-set win against Bishop Diego, the Knights swept Dunn High School in the first round, defeated Calvary Murrieta in four before ending the season in the quarterfinals.
The Knights open up the year at Frazier Mountain at Frazier Mountain High School on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 5 p.m.
