San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
DONS, VIKINGS WIN INAUGURAL TITLES
History was made Saturday on the sand.
After a nine-year journey to make beach volleyball an approved sport in the San Diego Section, La Jolla High captured the very first CIF championship at San Diego Mesa College.
The 4-1 win by the No. 2seeded Vikings over No. 1 Classical Academy handed the Division II championship trophy to La Jolla coach Kelly Drobeck, who brought the sport to life locally.
“I haven’t been in a championship match in six years,” said Drobeck, holding the first beach volleyball trophy. “I was really nervous before the match.
“This is my reward for the last nine years of work. I’m glad I was here to see it come off on the sand and that my team was the very first team to win a beach title is great.”
In the Division I championship match between a pair of undefeated teams, No. 2-seeded Cathedral Catholic downed No. 1 Torrey Pines 4-1.
Cathedral (10-0) got wins from its first four tandems.
Senior Anna Pringle and junior Julia Blyashov won 21-19, 21-13 at No. 1, while sophomore Nikki Egan and freshman Sam Herman were triumphant 23-21, 21-19 at No. 2, junior Kelsey Branson and sophomore Ayva Moi won 21-8, 21-16 at No. 3 and junior Mia Compass and sophomore Ava Stoddard won 21-18, 21-9 at No. 4.
“To be the first team to win a Division I title in beach is a big deal,” said Pringle, who is off to Stanford to play indoor volleyball. “It’s really awesome we got to do this.
“I’ll miss beach. It’s such a completely different game than indoor.
“I used to be an outside hitter and that helps in beach and now I’m a libero and that helps my defense.”
Each player in the two championship matches received a special medallion commemorating the first championships in beach volleyball.
Torrey Pines (10-1) got its lone set win from sophomore Mai Plsek and junior Dannika Dawson 21-16, 21-15 at No. 5.
Plsek and Dawson handed the Dons their first loss in a set this entire season.
Cathedral Catholic is ranked No. 1 in California and No. 3 in the nation, according to Maxpreps.
Torrey Pines is No. 3 in the state and No. 11 in the nation.
Division II
La Jolla 4, Classical Academy 1: The team score was tied 1-1 after the first round of action, but the Vikings (9-2) swept sets at No. 1 (Jenna Drobeck, Kiana Wurtz), No. 3 (Maya Mitchell, Kenan Thomas) and No. 4 (Leila Laumann, Grayson Lejuwann) in the second round to grab the title.
“I love this sport so much,” Kelly Drobeck said. “I’ve seen it grow every year since we started this push.
“I knew beach would be a big hit at the high school level.”
Classical (8-1) got its win at No. 2 behind freshman Jolyna Salas and junior Makena Thomas.