Sports

CIF spring sports playoffs face off in boys and girls lacrosse, boys volleyball, boys tennis and girls beach volleyball

Published

7 months ago

May 9, 2025

web.BVtennis_5167gg — The Bonita Vista High School boys tennis team advanced as far as the San Diego Section Division II quarterfinals. Photo by Phillip Brents

The San Diego Section spring sports playoffs have faced off in boys and girls lacrosse, boys volleyball, boys tennis and girls beach volleyball
South County teams, of course, are included.

Boys lacrosse
A total of 42 teams (out of 58) qualified to fill four divisional brackets: six in the Open Division and 12 each in Division I, Division II and Division III.

South County qualifiers include Mater Dei Catholic (No. 3 in Division III at 12-5), Olympian (No. 8 in Division III at 8-9) and San Ysidro (No. 12 in Division III at 7-9).

The Metro Conference included eight boys teams this season — four each in the Metro-Mesa League and Metro-South Bay League.

Mater Dei Catholic finished as this season’s Metro-Mesa League co-champion with Eastlake (9-8), which was not included in the playoff bracket. Both teams finished with 5-1 league records. Olympian and Bonita Vista tied with 1-5 league records.

San Ysidro finished as the Metro-South Bay League champion with a 6-0 record ahead of Hilltop, which finished 4-2 in league play. The Cougars defeated the Lancers by scores of 6-2 and 9-5 to win the teams’ league series.

Top-seeded teams include Carlsbad (Division I), Westview (Division II) and Classical Academy (Division III).

Olympian pulled off an 8-6 first-round victory over ninth-seeded Canyon Hills (9-10) while San Ysidro saw its inspired season end with an 11-3 loss to fifth-seeded Clairemont (11-5).
Mater Dei Catholic received a bye to Friday’s quarterfinals.

“We’re always trying to extend our season and keep playing as long as possible, especially for our seniors, so we we’re happy to see we got the No. 8 seed,” Olympian coach Keith Quigley said.

“It was a close game with Canyon Hills. The team is happy we were able to finish them off and win the game. More lacrosse is a good thing. Now we’re off to play Classical Academy on Friday and we’ll need to bring our top game.”

Sean Burke led the Eagles in he playoff win with three goals and three assists while Nolan Tompkins added three goals and two assists. Mikey Jorgensen collected three goals and one assist whlle the team was credited with 12 goalkeeper saves.

Quarterfinals in Division II and Division III are Friday, May 9, while the Division I quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, May 9.

Semifinal contests are slated Tuesday, May 13, in Division I and Division III and Wednesday, May 14, in Division II.

Westview High School will host the boys divisional finals. The Division I final is scheduled for Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m. Three more finals follow on Saturday, May 17: Division III at 11 a.m., Division II at 2 p.m. and Open Division at 5 p.m.

The six Open Division teams are No. 1 Torrey Pines (13-5), No. 2 La Costa Canyon (11-6), No. 3 Cathedral Catholic (16-4), No. 4 Santa Fe Christian (19-9), No. 5 Coronado (13-5) and No. 6 Bishop’s (8-8). The top two seeds receive byes in the quarterfinals (May 8) and move directly to the semifinals (May 14).

Photos by Jon Bigornia

The host Eastlake Lady Titans made a statement with a 16-6 opening round playoff win over visiting El Capitan.

Girls lacrosse
A total of 61 teams competed in the section’s girls circuit this season with 42 advancing to postseason play.

South County playoff qualifiers include Eastlake (No. 6 in Division II at 14-3), San Ysidro (No. 12 in Division II at 8-8), Olympian (No. 2 in Division III at 10-10) and Bonita Vista (No. 4 in Division III at 14-6).

The Metro Conference fielded 10 girls teams this season — five each in the Metro-Mesa League and Metro-South Bay League.

Eastlake finished as the Metro-Mesa League champion with an 8-0 league record ahead of San Ysidro and Castle Park, both with 4-4 league records. Bonita Vista finished 8-0 in league play as the Metro-South Bay League champion after finishing last season as the league co-champion.

Olympian will host seventh-seeded West Hills (5-12) in Friday’s quarterfinals at 6 p.m. after the seventh-seeded Lady Wolf Pack defeated 10th-seeded Del Lago Academy (8-8) by a score of 9-2 in Tuesday’s opening round.

“The Olympian girls had a really strong season,” said Quigley, who coaches both gender squads. “Honestly, I feel our record could even be much better if we could have won many of those close games we played. We really battled with some of the Division II teams. But all an all, we are thrilled to have the No. 2 seed (in Division III) and look forward to hosting West Hills on Friday night at Olympian.”

Bonita Vista, buoyed by seven seniors, will host fifth-seeded El Camino (12-6) in Friday’s quarterfinals at 6 p.m. after the Lady Wildcats eliminated 12th-seeded Grossmont (3-13) by a score of 15-3 in Tuesday’s opening round.

“Tenacity and work ethic,” BVHS coach Ahmad Rice said in regard to his team’s strengths. “We’re playing one game at a time. We’ll work on the skills we have and work on refining those skills — make crisper passes and crisper cuts.”

Eastlake hosted No. 11 El Capitan in Tuesday’s opening round while San Ysidro traveled to No. 5 Mission Hills on Wednesday.

Eastlake eliminated the Lady Vaqueros (11-6) by a score of 16-6 to advance to meet No. 3 Patrick Henry (12-6) in Friday’s quarterfinals at the Francis Parker School.

Top-seeded teams include Carlsbad (Division I), Rancho Bernardo (Division II) and Tri-City Christian (Division III).

Quarterfinal games are scheduled Friday, May 9, in Division II and Division III and Saturday, May 10, in Division I.

Semifinal elimination contests are slated Tuesday, May 13, in Division II and the Open Division and Wednesday, May 14, in Division I and Division III.

San Dieguito Academy will host the girls championship games. The Open Division final is slated Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m. Three finals follow on Saturday, May 17: Division III at 11 a.m., Division II at 2 p.m. and Division I at 5 p.m.

The six Open Division teams include No. 1 Coronado (17-0), No. 2 Cathedral Catholic (14-5), No. 3 La Costa Canyon (10-6), No. 4 San Marcos (16-2), No. 5 Bishop’s (16-2) and No. 6 Torrey Pines (8-11). Semifinals are Tuesday, May 13.

Both the Bonita Vista Barons and Eastlake Titans qualified for this year’s San Diego Section boys volleyball playoffs. Photos by Phillip Brents

Boys volleyball
Playoffs will be conducted in seven divisions: Open Division (eight), Division I (12 teams), Division II (12 teams), Division III (12 teams), Division IV (12 teams), Division V (12 teams) and Division V-AA (12 teams).

South County playoff qualifiers include Eastlake (No. 4 in Division I at 20-13), Bonita Vista (No. 9 in Division I at 16-14), Otay Ranch (No. 11 in Division I at 16-19), Mater Dei Catholic (No. 1 in Division III at 26-10), Sweetwater (No. 4 in Division III at 28-11), Montgomery (No. 12 in Division III at 14-18), Southwest (No. 8 in Division IV at 18-11), Victory Christian Academy (No. 10 in Division IV at 18-14), San Ysidro (No. 2 in Division V at 21-10), High Tech High Chula Vista (No. 5 in Division V at 16-14), San Diego Academy (No. 1 in Division V-AA at 18-5) and Chula Vista Learning Community Charter (No. 5 in Division V-AA at 10-10).

Eastlake claimed the Metro-Mesa League title with a 6-0 league record ahead of Bonita Vista. Mater Dei Catholic and Sweetwater shared the Metro-South Bay League championship with 7-1 league records while San Ysidro and Southwest shared the Metro-Pacific League banner with 5-1 league records.

Top-seeded teams include St. Augustine (Division (I), El Cajon Valley (Division II), Mater Dei Catholic (Division III), San Pasqual (Division IV), Monte Vista (Division V) and San Diego Academy (Division V-AA).

The playoff schedule is staggered at multiple locations.

Quarterfinals are Friday, May 9, in Division I, Division IV and Division V-AA while Division II, Division III and Division V get a head start on Thursday, May 8.

Semifinals are scheduled Tuesday, May 13, in Division III, Division V and Division V-AA and Wednesday, May 14, in Division I, Division II and Division IV.

Finals for Division V and Division V-AA are Thursday, May 15 at MiraCosta College.
Finals are Friday, May 16, for Division I and Division III at Mira Mesa High School and Saturday, May 17, at Francis Parker for Division II and Division IV.

The Open Division playoffs include a double-elimination format with the opening two rounds on May 6 and May 8. The eight-seeded teams include No. 1 Carlsbad (32-2), No. 2 Canyon Crest Academy (39-0), No. 3 Torrey Pines (31-7), No. 4 Francis Parker (22-10), No. 5 Bishop’s (24-9), No. 6 Classical Academy (23-12), No. 7 Cathedral Catholic (15-8) and No. 8 Granite Hills (15-10).Third-round games are scheduled Saturday, May 10, followed by fourth-round games on Tuesday, May 13, a fifth round (if necessary) on Thursday, May 15, and championship game May 17 at the Francis Parker School.

Boys tennis
Team playoffs took place April 29 to May 10 in four divisions: Open, Division I, Division II and Division III.

South County qualifiers included Mater Dei Catholic (No. 2 in Division II), Eastlake (No. 3 in Division II), Bonita Vista (No. 4 in Division II), Olympian (No. 6 in Division II), Otay Ranch (No. 12 in Division II), Hilltop (No. 2 in Division III), Castle Park (No. 10 in Division III) and San Ysidro (No. 15 in Division III).

A grand total of eight Metro Conference teams qualified, including five in Division II and three in Division III.

Top-seeded teams included Canyon Crest Academy (Open Division), Bishop’s (Division I), Valhalla (Division II) and Valley Center (Division III).

Of the eight South County qualifiers, five won their opening matches in an impressive showing to advance to the quarterfinals.

Bonita Vista’s Adan Hurtado, also a member of the school’s track and field team, returns service in the Barons’ CIF quarterfinal match. Photos by Phillip Brents

Mater Dei Catholic, the defending division champion, blasted 15th-seeded Santana by a score of 17-1 to open the four-round Division II tournament. Eastlake also handed 14th-seeded Calexico a lopsided loss while Olympian defeated 11th-seeded Mission Hills by a score of 12-6. Hilltop eliminated San Ysidro, 11-7, in an all-Metro matchup.

Another all-Metro pairing occurred in the next round as Eastlake sent Olympian home by a score of 12-6. Mater Dei Catholic joined the Titans in the semifinals with a 9-9 tiebreaker win over 10th-seeded Sage Creek. The Crusaders recorded a narrow 75-72 edge in total games to advance.

Hilltop advanced with a 12-6 win over seventh-seeded Mira Mesa while Bonita Vista lost a 9-9 tiebreaker to fifth-seeded La Costa Canyon (74-71 in games).

“It was intense,” Bonita Vista coach Liza Tacher said. “We have a solid team. I think the senior players got stronger making the team come together.”

No. 1 singles player Anthony Bernardo and No. 1 doubles tandem of Noah McMahan and Ari Broudy keyed the Barons’ fortunes this season. Other standouts included No. 2 singles Luka Licina and captains Adan Hurtado and Elijah Lee.

With three South County teams in the semifinals, something had to give.

Mater Dei Catholic got past Eastlake by a 13-5 score, but Hilltop saw its standout season end with an 11-7 setback to third-seeded Christian.

That left Mater Dei Catholic as the lone Metro team still standing in the championship round against top-seeded Valhalla. The Norsemen had placed runner-up to Sage Creek in the 2022 division finals, so both teams were battle-tested.

Valhalla won 10-8 in a marathon three-hour, 24-minute contest at the Lake Murray Tennis Club. It marked the first CIF title for the Norsemen in the program’s 50th season.

Aiden Toma, Isaiah Kasawa and Emilio Posadas each won two singles matches while the doubles team of Evan Bakayou and Gus Jacques won two of three sets.

Santiago Resendez swept all three of his singles matches for Mater Dei Catholic.
The Crusaders were without two players who left early to attend prom.

Valhalla, one of seven East County qualifiers, breezed through the opening two rounds with 13-5 wins over 16th-seeded West Hills (first round) and ninth-seeded High Tech High San Diego (quarterfinals). The Norsemen closed their history-making season with a pair of much closer 10-8 victories, defeating La Costa Canyon in the semifinals and MDC in the final.

Christian will meet top-seeded Valley Center in Saturday’s Division III championship round at the Balboa Tennis Club at noon.

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Indy volleyball coach in viral video charged after allegedly sexting a minor

Published

4 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

INDIANAPOLIS — A viral video has led to criminal charges against an Indianapolis volleyball coach accused of sending sexually explicit images to someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy.

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced that Levi Garrett, 34, of Danville, faces attempted dissemination of matter harmful to minors, a Level 6 felony, following an independent investigation by the prosecutor’s office.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the charges stem from allegations that on March 2, 2025, Garrett engaged in explicit conversations and sent sexually graphic photos on the dating app Grindr to someone he believed was a minor.

A member of a private online investigative organization used a fake Grindr profile titled “tryna have fun” with a photo portraying themselves as a 14-year-old male named “Josh.” The decoy allegedly engaged with Garrett’s profile, “Hmu & find out.”

During the conversation, court documents show the minor texted Garrett, “U mind if I’m young,” and Garrett replied, “No I don’t mind.” When the decoy told Garrett, “I’m 14 but I down for whatever,” Garrett allegedly “liked” the message and proceeded to send three sexually explicit images, including photos of male genitalia and sexual activity.

The messages also allegedly included language about meeting for sex, with Garrett asking whether the encounter would be “safe or bareback.”

Court records show Garrett initially agreed to meet at a location in Greencastle but later blocked the account.

The case gained widespread attention in August when YouTuber JiDion, who is affiliated with the private investigative group, posted a 26-minute video titled “Volleyball Coach Gets EXPOSED” that has been viewed over 1.2 million times.

In the video, JiDion confronts Garrett at The Academy Volleyball Club located on East 30th Street, showing him screenshots of the alleged text exchanges and explicit photos.

Notably, the video showed several Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers at the scene during the confrontation. When JiDion urged them to arrest the coach, one officer stated, “I have run into this before. Our prosecutor will not touch this,” a response that was controversial to many of JiDion’s followers.

IMPD later responded to the backlash and clarified that the video lacked important context, noting that a police report was filed at the scene, Garrett was trespassed from the property, and detectives were informed about the allegations.

Following the viral incident, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office opened a formal investigation into the allegations.

“There are no shortcuts in the investigative process,” Mears said in a statement Monday. “When it comes to crimes against children, justice demands that an independent investigation occur and evidence be properly obtained, so that a case is built that will hold offenders accountable in a court of law.”

According to the affidavit, body camera footage from the incident shows Garrett identifying himself by name and providing his date of birth and phone number to officers, information that matched the Grindr profile under investigation.

Garrett is scheduled to appear for a change of plea hearing on January 27, 2026, at 9 a.m. in Marion County Superior Court.

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Volleyball Lands Four on CSC Academic All-District Team

Published

4 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

GREENWOOD, Ind. – College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced its annual All-District listing on Tuesday, including four Central Michigan Volleyball members.

To qualify, a student-athlete must hold a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.50, across both undergraduate and graduate courses, if applicable. Athletically, volleyball student-athletes must have either competed in 90% of their team’s contests for the season or started at least 66% of contests.

The list of honorees is below:

Senior Alina Anderson (Rockford, Mich. / Rockford / Ferris State)
Senior Abby Olin (Coopersville, Mich. / Coopersville / Michigan State)
Sophomore Izzy Swiercz (Hudsonville, Mich. / Hudsonville)
Sophomore Grace Thomas (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Coffman)

Both Anderson and Olin earned the honor for the 2024 season.

For the latest news and updates on CMU Volleyball, follow the team in X (@cmuvolleyball) and on Instagram (@cmuvolleyball).

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Affidavit reveals AI-generated plan in alleged grooming case against Mesquite pastor’s son and volleyball coach

Published

9 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

An arrest affidavit obtained by CBS News Texas reveals more details about what led up to the arrest of a teacher and volleyball coach accused of grooming a teenage girl to have a sexual relationship with her, including the discovery of an AI-generated document outlining manipulation tactics.

Matthan Lough, 32, was arrested on Dec. 10 on a charge of child grooming, a third-degree felony. His father, Kevin Lough, was the senior pastor of the Christian Center of Mesquite, where some of the alleged grooming took place.

The victim and her mother filed a report with Mesquite police about Lough on Oct. 2. According to police, the victim’s mother found out about the relationship earlier that week.

Mesquite police: Grooming began more than two years ago

The affidavit outlines how the case began with an interaction at a party in the spring of 2023.

According to the affidavit, the victim met Lough at her cousin’s graduation party when he approached her while she was playing volleyball. The victim recognized Lough from church, as his wife was the worship leader for their youth group. Lough asked her if she would be interested in joining a club volleyball team he wanted to start at the church.

It was not until the fall of 2024 that Lough held tryouts for the team, and the victim was given a spot, the affidavit said. The victim reported a series of unusual interactions with Lough over the following months in which he shared overly personal details about his life and marriage, then began to make flirty and inappropriate jokes, according to the report.

Lough’s inappropriate behavior escalated further over the summer of 2025, when he started sending the victim explicit messages and discussed committing murders, the affidavit said. Lough also repeatedly made sure the victim knew he was carrying a gun, making her fear for her safety.

In September, the affidavit describes the relationship turning physical. Lough allegedly kissed the victim at a church event. Later that month, he sexually assaulted her twice, the victim told police.

The relationship ended after the victim’s mother discovered the inappropriate messages on the victim’s devices. Her mother then contacted Lough’s wife.

Police said that after the victim filed the report, detectives obtained a search warrant and found an AI-generated document on Lough’s iPad titled “Hypothetical Counter-Influence Plan.” The document outlined phases such as “rebuild her autonomy” and “shift the power dynamic,” and provided guidance on how to achieve success.

Fallout from child grooming case

After the relationship was uncovered, police said Lough’s wife left Texas. Court records show she filed for divorce in October.

Lough’s father also resigned as senior pastor of the Christian Center of Mesquite. In a post on the church’s website, its board said the church would work to seek justice for the victim. It also said the church has “initiated an immediate internal review of all child protection policies, volunteer screening processes, and facility access logs to ensure the absolute safety of every child and youth within our care.”

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2025 NCAA women’s volleyball championship: How to watch, schedule

Published

9 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dec 16, 2025, 04:41 PM ET

Texas A&M shook up the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament when the No. 3 Aggies upset top-ranked and previously unbeaten Nebraska in their regional final. Now, the Aggies are headed to their first Final Four in program history.

No. 3 Wisconsin, which ousted Texas, another No. 1 seed, on its home court, and No. 1 seeds Kentucky and Pittsburgh join Texas A&M in the national semifinals, which take place Thursday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Aggies will take on Pitt in one semifinal, while Wisconsin and Kentucky will face off in the other. Neither Texas A&M nor the Panthers have won a national championship, though Pitt will play in its fifth straight Final Four. Both Wisconsin (2021) and Kentucky (2020) have won one national title.

Here are key facts about the 2025 NCAA Division I women’s volleyball tournament:

What is the remaining schedule?

*All times Eastern

Thursday, Dec. 18

Semifinal: No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh – 6:30 p.m. on ESPN

“NCAA Women’s Volleyball Studio Show” – 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Semifinal: No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky – 9 p.m. on ESPN

Sunday, Dec. 21

“NCAA Women’s Volleyball Preview Show” – 3 p.m. on ABC

Championship – 3:30 p.m. on ABC

How can fans watch?

Fans can catch all of the action in the ESPN App and in the NCAA women’s volleyball streaming hub.

How can fans access more college sports coverage from ESPN?

Check out the ESPN college sports hub page for the latest news, scores, rankings and more.

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Three Clarkson Volleyball Players Named to CSC Academic All-District List

Published

9 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Seniors Ashley Currier and Marin Hangliter as well as sophomore Olivia Baxter of the Clarkson University Volleyball team have been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Volleyball team.

The 2025 Academic All-District® Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. To be eligible, student-athletes need to be of sophomore standing both athletically and academically, hold a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or better, and have participated in 90% of sets or have started at least two-thirds of their respective team’s matches.

Baxter, a sophomore majoring in Chemical Engineering, was a Liberty League Second-Team All-Star thanks to her excellence in the back row. Baxter ranked 22nd nationally in digs per set (5.40 dps) and was 57th nationally in aces per set (0.63 aps).

Currier, a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, continued to be relied upon in a variety of roles for the Knights, averaging 7.09 assists, 0.95 kills, 2.50 digs, and 0.61 blocks per set. In a match against University of Rochester she nearly posted an incredibly rare feat, coming up just one kill short of a quadruple double (31 assists, 16 digs, 10 blocks, and 9 kills).

Hangliter, a senior majoring in Environmental Engineering, finished the season averaging 2.62 kills per set, which ranked second on the team. She also was second in the Liberty League in aces per set with 0.64, which placed her 49th nationally in that category.

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Three Tennessee Volleyball Players Earn CSC Academic All-District Honors

Published

11 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Three Tennessee volleyball student-athletes College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team, as announced on Tuesday. Caroline Kerr makes the list for the second consecutive year, while Hayden Kubik and Gülce Güçtekin make the list for the first time in their careers.

This marks the first time in program history that three Lady Vols have been named to the Academic All-District Team. In Eve Rackham Watt‘s eight years as head coach, eight total players have earned Academic All-District honors. Tennessee has had two or more players selected to the All-District team now in three seasons, all coming under Rackham Watt.

CSC’s Academic All-America program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. Both Kerr and Kubik earned spots on the CSC Academic All-America ballot, which will be announced on January 13, 2026.

Compiling a 3.87 GPA in the Sport Management program, Kerr garnered First Team All-SEC honors after leading the team with 945 assists. Kerr was a key force for a Tennessee attack that finished the season top 15 in both hitting percentage and kills per set. Kerr had 20 matches with 30 or more assists, including tying her career high with 57 against Florida on Oct. 15.

One of the top setters in Tennessee history, Kerr currently ranks sixth all-time in both assists (3,259) and assists per set (10.65). The two-time All-American setter has led the team in assists in each of the last three seasons, eclipsing the 1,000-assist mark in both 2023 & 2024.

Earning her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies, Kubik had her best offensive season of her career in her final collegiate season. Kubik led the team in kills (390), kills per set (4.19), points (431.0), and points per set (4.63) this season. She had double-digit kills in 24 matches, reaching 20 or more on four occasions.

Kubik also ranked top ten in the conference in both kills per set and points per set in 2025. A stellar defender in the back row, Kubik finished third on the team with 209 digs. The First Team All-SEC selection had seven double-doubles on the campaign, all of which came against conference opponents.

Boasting a 4.00 GPA in Communication Studies, Güçtekin became an important piece to Tennessee’s defensive success. The senior libero led the team in 2025 with 408 digs. Güçtekin finished the season ranking top five in the SEC in both digs and digs per set. She recorded double figure digs in 23 matches, including having 20 or more in six. She set a career-high of 30 digs at Kentucky on Nov. 9, becoming the first Tennessee player to reach 30 or more digs since Yelianoz Torres had 30 against Arkansas on Oct. 20, 2023.

Güçtekin eclipsed 1,000 digs in her career this season, and finishes her collegiate career with 1,293 digs. An all-around player in college, Güçtekin also finished with 423 assists and 117 aces.

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