First published in the Oct. 22 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
The Crescenta Valley High School varsity girls’ volleyball team swept visiting Western Christian High of Upland, 25-8, 25-16, 25-14, in the first round of the CIF-SS Division V postseason on Thursday.
Senior Hyacinth Ang collected 17 assists and five aces, senior Jana Coffeen tallied six aces and six kills, and sophomore Sofia Shin finished with 24 digs.
The Falcons, who finished as Pacific League champions with a spotless 10-0 record, previously won their league finale over visiting Arcadia, 22-25, 25-27, 25-12, 25-21, 15-9. The victory solidified a historic season for CVHS, which won its first title since 1998 and went undefeated in league for the first time in recorded school history. Coffeen produced 14 kills and seven aces, while senior Nyra Tatoulian posted 13 kills. Ang registered 38 assists and four aces, while Shin recorded 26 digs.
Crescenta Valley (28-7 overall) will take a seven-match win streak into its second-round matchup at Cerritos (18-7 overall) on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. If victorious, the Falcons would advance to the quarterfinals and meet either El Dorado High of Placentia or Buckley High of Sherman Oaks on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
GLENDALE
The Nitros have yet to lose a set in the CIF-SS Division VII postseason after sweeping host Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary in Montebello, 25-7, 25-18, 25-21, in a first-round matchup on Thursday.
Sophomore Aleina Manaois led with 15 kills, nine digs and five aces, while junior Arianna Vargas racked up 10 kills and 12 digs. Senior Jana Cooper amassed 29 assists, sophomore Breanna Cuellar tallied three kills and two aces, and sophomore Mika Valiente had four kills and four blocks.
Glendale won its first postseason match since 2014 after sweeping visiting Glenn High of Norwalk, 25-18, 25-10, 25-19, in a wildcard contest on Tuesday. Manaois registered 23 kills, three aces and two digs, while Vargas collected five kills, five aces and six digs. Valiente produced four kills and three blocks, while Cooper finished with 25 assists and four aces.
The Nitros previously punched their ticket to the CIF-SS postseason for the first time since 2015 after defeating visiting Burroughs High of Burbank, 25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-6, in their regular-season finale. The victory helped Glendale secure a third-place finish with a 6-4 Pacific League record.
Manaois amassed 22 kills, 22 digs, five aces and four blocks, while Vargas racked up 18 digs, eight kills, three aces and two blocks. Valiente collected 13 blocks and five kills, junior Mariam Brito-Salazar posted 10 blocks and four kills, and Cuellar had nine blocks and three kills. Sophomore Emmi Whiting tallied 21 assists while Cooper recorded 14 assists.
Glendale (24-11-1 overall) will take a three-match win streak into a second-round contest at San Gabriel (18-10 overall) on Saturday, Oct. 22. If the Nitros are victorious, they would advance to the quarterfinals and meet either Ocean View High of Huntington Beach or Gabrielino High of San Gabriel on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
