The Sports Informant

Volleyball CIF State Championships:

The Northern California Regional was not kind to the Sac-Joaquin section for the most part. One team, however, stood tall.

Division IV – Christian Bros.

Christian Brothers High School followed its Sac-Joaquin Section title with an impressive run in the NorCal Regional beating Piedmont in Round 1, Harbor in Round 2 and Ripon in Round 3, all in home matches, to advance to the state championship. After top host priority team Menlo was eliminated by Ripon in Round 2, Christian Bros. took the top spot for home matches and ran with them, beating Piedmont 25-11, 25-20, 25-12 and beating Harbor 25-16, 25-8, 25-16 to finally face giant slayer Ripon in the NorCal final.

The final match was an amazing one. Ripon came out on fire, looking to knock off then the second highest seed in the tournament after beating the first. Ripon took the first two games, 19-25 and 23-25, respectively. On the brink of elimination, though, Christian Bros. woke up at home, battled back, and earned a hard-fought victory.

The Christian Bros. Falcons won the next three games, 25-17, 25-22 and 15-8, respectively, to take the NorCal title and earn a spot in the state championship on Dec. 6 at UC Irvine.

Congrats, ladies, you’re one step away from being the best team in the state, and so far, you’re the only team from our area still alive. You’ve made us proud already, now go and finish the job.

Division I:

Sac-Joaquin Section Nevada Union (section champ) and Napa struggled to overcome their competition in the NorCal bracket. While Nevada Union had high hopes after beating Skyline in Round 1, they couldn’t stop a surging Homestead squad in Round 2, falling, 20-25, 29-31, 25-23, 17-25 in an absolute barn burner.

Homestead turned out to be the SJS spoiler, next knocking off Napa in Round 3 to earn the NorCal title. Napa beat Granada in Round 1, then beat Salinas in Round 2, 25-22, 25-22, 25-19. But having to travel to Homestead proved too tough and Napa lost with a shot at state on the line, 21-25, 15-25, 14-25.

Division II:

Local favorite Oak Ridge High School, who hadn’t lost in a game, let alone a match, in months, fell short of its goal of a state title in the NorCal Regionals. What was supposed to be a powerhouse NorCal final between No. 1 seed Archbishop Mitty and the Oak Ridge Trojans never came to be, as the Trojans couldn’t win a long-lasting contest with Mountain View in El Dorado Hills on Nov. 29. After beating Campolindo in Round 1, the Trojans fought but couldn’t win the 25-15, 19-25, 21-25, 25-23, 11-15 affair in Round 2. Mountain View then was swept in three games against Mitty, leaving a very disappointing result.

The SJS second squad in the tourney, St. Francis, was knocked off in Round 1 by Maria Carrillo.

Division III:

Heavy favorite St. Mary’s High represented the SJS in the NorCal Regionals as the top seed with home matches throughout, but couldn’t fulfill expectations of reaching the state championship. after a loss in the NorCal Regional Final.

St. Mary’s started strong, beating West Valley in Round 1,  25-13, 25-12, 25-13, then Miramonte in Round 2,  26-24, 25-11, 17-25, 25-19. But No. 3 seed Sacred Heart Cathedral proved unstoppable in the tourney, sealing its spot in the state championship with a straight set win over St. Mary’s 25-21, 25-3, 25-22.

The SJS second representative, Oakdale, lost in Round 1 to Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Division IV:

Ripon Christian was the SJS top representative, but after beating Valley Christian in Round 1, couldn’t beat St. Francis CCC, and was eliminated in a Round 2 loss, 23-25, 20-25, 21-25.

Woodland Christian, the section’s second representative, lost in Round 1to Marin Academy.