The 2025 CIF Southern Section brackets will feature over 30 local teams pushing for a championship.
Here’s a look at the regular season finish and playoff preview for the near three dozen local high school girls’ volleyball teams entering the postseason.
Sierra Canyon, Oaks Christian and Harvard-Westlake enter the Division 1 bracket.
The Trailblazers (36-3, 10-0) were no surprise to see atop the Division 1 rankings following their dominant season. Sierra Canyon earned a bye and will await the winner of Oaks Christian and Temecula Valley, as the Blazers begin their quest for their second CIF title in four years.
Oaks Christian (25-4) will enter Division 1 play following its standout season, which ended with a co-league championship with Thousand Oaks. The Lions got their revenge and beat the Lancers in five to force the tie atop the Marmonte League. Oaks Christian fans witnessed an incredible night from 6-foot-1 middle McKenna Kimbell as the junior middle totaled 10 of Oaks’ 17 blocks on the night, while also adding 11 kills.
Outside hitter Sadie Kocur led the team with 12 kills, while 6-foot-1 opposite Masina Ogbechie also had 11.
The Lions have won six straight and will look to carry their momentum against a tough Temecula Valley, which returns to Division 1 for the second straight season.
Oaks Christian takes on Temecula Valley on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Other Division 1 matchups: Harvard-Westlake hosts Crean Lutheran on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
West Ranch, Notre Dame and Thousand Oaks highlight loaded Division 2 bracket.
West Ranch (21-5, 12-0) has been nothing short of impressive in 2025. The Wildcats finished their Foothill League campaign unscathed with 12 straight set wins on the year. West Ranch’s few losses also all come at the hands of Division 1 teams, including a 3-2 loss at Sierra Canyon.
Five-foot-10 setter Dani Clewis finishes her senior regular season with 718 assists, 167 digs, 52 aces, 135 kills, and lastly, her specialty, 58 blocks.
West Ranch returns to the Division 2 bracket and will host the Tesoro Titans on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Thousand Oaks is another powerhouse in the bracket and will open up play at home against the Sage Hill Lightning, a team the Lancers have a big height advantage on.
Chaminade will travel to Notre Dame on Tuesday for the division’s only first-round matchup between local teams. The Eagles swept the Knights over a month ago in a match that included a 35-33 deuce set.
Other Division 2 matchups: Louisville at San Clemente Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Saugus, Flintridge Prep, Burroughs charge into Division 3 play
Flintridge Prep had won 15 straight matches before being swept by La Canada last week. The Wolves’ charge late in the season forced a co-Prep League championship between Flintridge Prep and Poly.
The Wolves will welcome the 2024 Division 4 runner-up Newbury Park Panthers on Wednesday. Newbury Park will look to slow down Flintridge junior Makayla Jones and outside hitter Abbie Callaway, who have registered 268 and 191 kills this season respectively. The Panthers have plenty of firepower of their own with returning all-CIF outside hitter Charley Knupp and opposite Keira Overbeck upfront.
Saugus will be a tough out as year after year, the Centurions are so hard to put the ball away on. This season, the team features four Centurions with 200 or more digs, led by freshman Chasiah Omoregie with 307. Taylor Stires is one of those four and also leads Saugus on the net with 316 kills. Victoria Vacas and Callie Peterson will be critical on defense as the two total 60 and 59 blocks on the season, respectively.
Saugus has made the postseason in five straight seasons with just one first-round exit in that span.
Other local Division 3 matchups on Wednesday: Agoura at North Torrance, Claremont at Burroughs, South Pasadena at Campbell Hall and Village Christian at Hemet
La Canada, Oak Park and Heritage Christian take on the Division 4 bracket.
After some rough years for Oak Park volleyball, the program has resurfaced with a Coastal Canyon League championship and a home playoff opener. The Eagles (18-6) will host the Sultana Sultans (15-6) on Tuesday.
Despite a 2-6 start to the season, the La Canada Spartans (18-18) took home their second straight league title and earned a spot in the Division 4 tournament, a short drive east to take on the San Dimas Saints (23-8). La Canada will need more big kills from outsides Maya Purdy and Luella Lewis and the usual blocking showout from 6-foot-3 middle Vani Tatoulian.
Heritage Christian (16-10) will also head east with a first-round matchup with Diamond Bar (22-8).
Royal and Valencia earn home matches; Canyon and Buckley open on the road in Division 5.
Foothill League rivals Canyon and Valencia re-enter Division 5 play and could very well meet for a third match for the second straight season. Neither team will get ahead of itself pushing for that meeting as Canyon first heads down to Gahr while Valencia opens up at home against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Royal took some lumps to end the year and lost out on a Coastal Canyon League title. The Highlanders dropped four of their final five matches in the regular season; however, all four losses came in four or five sets. Royal still opens up at home, hosting University on Wednesday.
Other local Division 5 matchups on Wednesday: San Marino at Camarillo, Buckley at Corona
Division 6
Matchups on Tuesday: Desert Christian Academy at Oakwood, Norwalk at Trinity Classical Academy, Rim of the World at Providence
Division 7
Matchups on Wednesday: San Gabriel Academy at Castaic, Santa Clarita Christian at Elsinore, San Jacinto Valley at Faith Baptist
Division 8
Holy Martyrs at Rancho Alamitos on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Division 10
Edgewood at Newbury Park Adventist Tuesday at 6 p.m.