Lady Lancers hovering near the top of Division III girls volleyball rankings

It’s a new season filled with new hope, and the Hilltop High School girls volleyball team has responded with a 16-6 non-league record.
Hilltop finished 20-15 overall last season, 6-2 in Metro-South Bay League play, but did not qualify for the section playoffs.

That could be rectified this season. “I told the girls it’s our redemption season,” head coach George Cavaco said. “You want to be able to get into the playoffs. It doesn’t matter where we’re seeded, just so we have a chance to win a championship.”
With the No. 3 ranking among Division III teams, the Lady Lancers, led by senior libero Alexa Chavarria, could have a shot.

Lady Titans
Girls volleyball has become a marquee sport at Eastlake High School while sharing the limelight alongside the equally successful boys team.
The EHS boys squad captured the San Diego Section Division II championship in 2023, followed by the girls team last fall in Division I. As an encore, the Lady Titans won the Division II title in the spring’s girls beach volleyball playoffs.

Eastlake coach Liz Lau said this fall’s girls varsity (indoor) volleyball team could be swinging for the rafters.

“There is a lot of potential in this team, and the players know they need to put in work,” Lau said.
The second-seeded Lady Titans defeated ninth-seeded Rancho Bernardo in a three-game sweep (25-17, 25-13, 25-13) to claim last year’s Division I section crown.

Eastlake returns championship experience in senior Seapora Hayes, senior libero Noelle Papa and junior setter Kaycee Barcas. Hayes was a second-team All-Metro-Mesa League pick last season.

“Seapora, Noelle and Kaycee are ready to lead in their respective positions to help the team be competitive,” Lau said. “Our team goals are to win Mesa League, finish top-five in our tournaments and make a push for a playoff run to the CIF championship game again.”

Helping the team along that path are impact newcomers Samiah Hayes and Allison Albano, both ninth-graders.
Samiah Hayes is the younger sister of Seapora Hayes and will start opposite her as the second middle blocker while Albano will break into the rotation and run a 6-2 formation with Barcas.

A 6-2 formation is an offensive system using two setters and six hitters, ensuring there are always three front-row attackers on the court.
It may take time for all the wheels to get rolling. The team is off to a 7-7 start in non-league play with victories against Rancho Buena Vista, La Costa Canyon, San Dieguito Academy, Esperanza, Patrick Henry, Mica Mountain (Tucson, Ariz.) and Newbury Park.

League play starts Oct. 2.