Mater Dei chases rare three-peat in top prep

As the 2025 high faculty ladies volleyball marketing campaign will get underway, no program in the Southland is garnering as a lot consideration as Mater Dei — and for good cause.

Led by reigning Coach of the Year Dan O’Dell, the Monarchs have gained back-to-back CIF Southern Section Division 1 titles and are attempting to change into only the second crew in part annals to seize three straight in the top playoff division.

The first faculty to three-peat in the best division was Newport Harbor, which gained three straight Division 1AA titles from 1997-99 under coach Dan Glenn.

Spearheading Mater Dei’s chase for historical past are reigning Player of the Year Layli Ostovar, a senior outdoors hitter dedicated to USC for seaside and indoor, and fellow All-CIF outdoors hitter Westley Matavao, who flourished as a sophomore for the Monarchs following a obligatory sit-out period after transferring from Orange Lutheran.

Matavao, an early commit to UCLA, had 12 kills in the ultimate of the Durango Classic in Las Vegas in September and was named the event MVP. She ended last season with 276 kills (3.5 per set) and 284 digs in 80 units. Last Tuesday, the junior picked up proper where she left off, pounding 15 kills and serving three aces in a season-opening four-set triumph over San Clemente.

Ostovar was the crew’s kill-leader last fall with 337. Her sisters — setter Ayva and libero Kayla — graduated in the spring, but the Monarchs convey back three strong center blockers in Addison Coady, Emma Kingston and Sierra Robinson.

Mater Dei gained back-to-back Division 1 crowns in 2017 and 2018 (also under O’Dell) but its bid for three in a row ended with a four-set loss to Redondo Union in the finals in 2019.

Should it pull off a trifecta, this 12 months’s squad would equal the feat the Monarchs achieved in capturing three straight Division IIA titles from 2001-03 under Craig Pazanti, at the moment the boys and ladies coach at his alma mater, Huntington Beach.

The largest menace to Mater Dei’s supremacy in the Trinity League figures to be Santa Margarita, which returns All-CIF outdoors hitters Ireland Real (a U19 USA Volleyball crew member who had 543 kills as a sophomore for the Eagles last fall) and Memphis Burnett. Orange Lutheran returns setter/hitter Marley Robinson and JSerra’s assault is led by opposites Katherine and Charlotte Nowak.

Redondo Union is one of a number of groups with the firepower to dethrone Mater Dei. The Seahawks established themselves as the favorites in the talent-laden Bay League by ending runner-up at the Ann Kang Invitational in Hawaii for a second straight time, falling to Byron Nelson of Texas in Saturday’s championship match. On its march to the Gold Division remaining, Tommy Chaffins’ squad ousted JSerra, league rival Mira Costa and Sierra Canyon.

The Seahawks are flying high thanks to Cal-bound outdoors Abby Zimmerman, libero Addi Junk and reverse hitter Avery Junk (twins who are Florida State seaside commits) and All-CIF center blocker Taylor Boice (UC Irvine). Zimmerman is one of the most well-rounded gamers in California and last season’s stats show it: 429 kills, 259 digs, 63 blocks and 57 aces.

Layli Ostovar, of Mater Dei, extends to hit the volleyball during a match.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Mira Costa desires revenge after getting upset by Redondo Union in the CIF-SS seaside finals on May 3 and the Mustangs from Manhattan Beach are more than succesful with a steady of outdoors hitters that contains Audrey Flanagan, Simone Roslon and Cayenne Ceman, and USC-bound setter Milly McGee. Flanagan pounded 478 kills a 12 months in the past and is headed to Wisconsin. Roslon has dedicated to Stanford and Ceman has dedicated to Northeastern. Despite the commencement of Taylor Decker (now at USC), who was a three-year starter at libero, Mira Costa has gone undefeated in league 4 years in a row and is decided to prolong that streak.

The last faculty not named Mater Dei to win the top prize in the Southern Section was Sierra Canyon, which swept Mira Costa in the finals in 2022. The Trailblazers are contenders once more with junior outdoors hitters Hanna McGinest (452 kills in 2024) and Eva Jeffries (415 kills), both of whom are daughters of former professional athletes. The roster also options Missouri commit Lucky Fasavalu (who can both set and hit) and two junior transfers—center and Nebraska commit Kendall Omoruyi and hitter McKenna McIntosh, a USC commit.

Defending the Mission League crown shall be a problem for Sierra Canyon because Marymount is itching to unseat its archival, having dropped three conferences with the Trailblazers last season. Returning for the Sailors are hitter Sammy Destler (a Washington commit), setter Olivia Penske (a Georgetown commit), center Elle Vandeweghe (a Southern Methodist commit) and junior pin hitter Makenna Barnes.

Cari Klein coached Marymount to six straight titles (5 in Division IVAA and the last in IA) from 2001-06 — still the part file — and three consecutive from 2010-12 (the first two in 1A and the last in 1AA, then the top division).

Huntington Beach misplaced All-CIF libero Olivia Foye (now at Princeton) but outdoors hitter Addison Williams (a Hawaii commit) and the Oilers will battle for the Sunset League crown with Los Alamitos, which is paced by libero Kaitlyn Herweg.

Murrieta Valley and Palos Verdes clashed for the Division 2 title last 12 months but both rosters look considerably different. All-CIF sophomore hitter Summer Tukua returns but the champion Nighthawks graduated eight gamers, including MVP Miley Thunstrom. Palos Verdes misplaced three All-CIF gamers: top hitter and Stanford commit Kaci Demaria, LSU seaside commit Molly LeBreche and UCLA seaside commit Mallory LaBreche.

Under coach Arman Mercado, defending City Section Open Division champion Taft gained 40 or more matches in each of the three earlier seasons, but the core of that group graduated last spring, including Co-Players of the Year Aleiah Carr and Francine Baltazar-Shine, libero Gianella Tijamo and All-City outdoors hitter Eva Velarde. Returning are defensive specialist Jasmine Orellana, setter Alexa Barajas and reverse Laila Braimah.

Open Division finalist Venice returns All-City first-teamers Gaia Adeseun-Williams and setter Kaya Richards and second-team decide Samantha Lortie. Palisades is hungry for its first title in 5 years with hitter Tulah Block and libero Lucy Neilson.