Tustin girls volleyball team top seeded in CIF Division 5 playoffs starting Thursday

Tustin’s girls volleyball players and coaches gather for a team picture after the senior night match against Kennedy. (Photo courtesy Tustin volleyball, Cesar Padilla, For OC Sports Zone)

Tustin High’s girls volleyball team, which finished second in the Empire League, is the top seeded team in the CIF Division 5 playoffs which begin Thursday.

The Tillers (23-4) open the post season hosting Diamond Bar Thursday at 6 p.m.

“Yes we’re top seed in Division 5 and are really looking forward to make an historic run in CIF for Tiller girls volleyball,” said Coach Joanna Lane. “Our very first practice we set goals and one of our two main goals was to put ourselves in a position to win CIF.

“Here we are exactly where we hoped to be. So now, we’re looking to put 100 percent effort into every opportunity we get, take things day by day and focus on showing up the only way we know how: with a relentless attitude, hard work, and those Tiller good vibes.”

Tustin’s only two losses in league play were to league champion Cypress, which is off to the Division 2 playoffs.

“Wednesday we celebrated senior night with our 10 seniors and beat Kennedy 3-1,” Lane said. “It was a fun match and a great way to finish league.”

Against Kennedy, Tustin dropped the first set 27-29 but came back to win the next three 25-9, 25-15, 25-15.

The Tillers were led by senior outside hitter Ava McInnes who recorded 21 kills and 14 digs; senior setter Sam Cannone, who had 57 assists and three aces; junior libero Malia Acosta, who had 29 digs and four aces; senior outside hitter Alex Cox, who had 15 kills and 19 digs and senior Sophie Palmer, who had nine kills and two blocks.

Junior Paige Cutwright had eight kills, one ace, three digs and two blocks, senior outside hitter Taylor Kelly had one ace and nine digs, junior Jade Croopnick had two aces and 26 digs and senior opposite Cyanne Hodge had the game winning kill.

“It was a proud evening in The Barn,” Lane said.

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