Cypress, Marina and CVC earn top seeds in volleyball playoffs; two PCL teams unable to compete

Cypress, Marina and Capistrano Valley Christian earned top seeds in the CIF boys volleyball playoffs that begin this week for most divisions.

Empire League champion Cypress is seeded first in Division 3, Wave League runner-up Marina is first in Division 4 and San Joaquin League champion Capo Valley Christian is first in Division 6.

In addition, Corona del Mar is seeded third and defending CIF champion Newport Harbor fourth in Division 1.

Three Orange County teams are seeded in the top four of Divison 2 behind top seed Santa Barbara: No. 2 Huntington Beach, No. 3 Servite and No. 4 Beckman, the Pacific Coast League champion.

Foothill is seeded second and Canyon third in Division 3 and Laguna Hills is third and El Dorado fourth in Divisiopn 4.

The brackets do not include Pacific Coast League teams Woodbridge and Northwood. Woodbridge, coached by Alan Ho, was having a solid season and was looking for a long run in the Division 3 bracket and would have advanced as the second place team from the PCL. Earlier this month the Warriors were ranked third in Division 3, but Woodbridge Athletic Director Rick Gibson said the team could not participate.

“There is a heath reason we are unable to participate in the first round and therefore we would have to forfeit the volleyball game so unfortunately our kids will not be able to participate in the CIF playoffs,” Gibson said.

Gibson declined to offer other details.

“It’s unfortunate but I have to say I think every one of those kids that played 10 games are happy that they got to play 10 games, though we’re heart broken and they deserve to move on, the fact of the matter is they did get to play,” Gibson said.

Northwood finished fifth in the PCL and would have replaced Woodbridge in the playoffs. Northwood officials could not be reached for comment.

“I was informed that Woodbridge and Northwood would not be able to participate in the playoffs due to health concerns,” added Irvine Unified Athletic Director Mark Cunningham. “What that meant was that the teams below them would move up and take those spots. The PCL entries into the playoffs are as follows: Beckman first, Laguna Hills second, University third and Irvine fourth.”

“I’m really disappointed for the guys, we had a team that was capable of making a deep run this year and they had that opportunity taken away from them,” said Ho, the Woodbridge coach.

The Warriors had several top players who were having great years, the coach added.

“Matthew Edwards, who will be playing at UCLA next year, was having a nice season for us at outside hitter and leading us in kills,” he said. “Will Giron was playing well and leading us in blocks and hitting percentage.  Jack Bunch was steady for us all year at outside hitter as well.”

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com