Dons named MaxPreps National Champion after 42-0 season culminates in CIF Open Division title.
Of the many adjectives to describe the 2022
Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) volleyball team, champion is the most fitting. The Dons capped a 42-0 season Saturday with a sweep in the CIF Open Division final. In the process, Cathedral Catholic also cemented its title as 2022 MaxPreps National Champions, finishing No. 1 in the final MaxPreps Top 25.
As they have done all season, head coach Juliana Conn's group led a surgical and relentless attack on Saint Francis in Saturday's California final as wave after wave of hitters pounded home kills and the defense dug seemingly undiggable balls to start the offense all over again. And the Dons did it without arguably their biggest hitter,
Julia Blyashov, on the bench after being sidelined with an ankle sprain suffered in the quarterfinals.
In her absence, Cathedral Catholic sent Oregon commit
Noemie Glover,
Jenna Hanes,
Milan Bayless,
Ryleigh Patterson,
Cate Schnell and
Kapiolani Coleman through the front row producing not only crowd-wowing kills, but a smothering block that frustrated opposing offenses and stymied all comers.
And while the attack might make the highlight reel, the back row defense from sophomore libero
Maya Evens and the setting from
Amanda Saeger were the catalyst of what made Cathedral Catholic great.
The Dons were so deep many players and coaches said their most spirited competition often came against in practice.
"We try to challenge each other and that really pushed us to another level," Schnell said.
Conn said she knew after last season's postseason loss to eventual MaxPreps National Champion
Marymount (Los Angeles) that the Dons had a chance to be standing at No. 1 at the end of the 2022 season.
"This was by far the best team I've had. We have a combination of good volleyball players, athletes and leadership," Conn said. "This is the first time I graduated 10 seniors. I had youth, seniority, bulk, power and a great setter. I had the whole thing on a platter.
"I've had a few good teams at Cathedral, but they never came together the way this team did. It was a once-in-a-lifetime situation."
"When we were putting the schedule together, we knew we had to keep the competition high and give the girls something to look forward to," Conn said, adding the rotation in the season-opening tournament was about 15 deep. "It was perfect because it was the kind of team that would keep getting better if they had something to push them."
Blyashov said last year's postseason loss to Marymount was one of the catalysts for the Dons' season.
"After that Marymount loss, we came back motivated. I knew I didn't want to go through that again," Blyashov said. "I've been dreaming about it since before high school. It's a special moment to be able to do it with this group of girls."
Cathedral Catholic graduates 10 seniors this season and is sending 10 player to the Division I level, including Blyashov to Stanford, Schnell to Tennessee, Hanes to Michigan, Glover to Oregon, Bayless going to Colgate, Patterson to Harvard,
Mia Compas to Davidson,
Amanda Saeger to DePaul,
Tehya Maeva to Nevada,
Dakota Conway to Florida International and Coleman to Washington for track and field.
2009 — Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
2010 — Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.)
2011 — Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.)
2012 — Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.)
2013 — The Woodlands (Texas)
2014 — Lewis-Palmer (Monument, Colo.)
2015 — Cathedral (Indianapolis)
2016 — Mother McAuley (Chicago)
2017 — Walton (Marietta, Ga.)
2018 — Assumption (Louisville, Ky.)
2019 — Torrey Pines (San Diego)
2020 — No champion recognized due to pandemic
2021 — Marymount (Los Angeles)
Final 2022 MaxPreps Top 25
1. (Last week No. 1) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 42-0CIF Open Division Champion
2. (2) Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio), 55-23. (3) Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 49-1Division 1 state champion
4. (6) Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.), 34-1Class 4A state champion
5. (7) Fayetteville (Ark.), 36-2Class 6A state champion
6. (9) Mother McAuley (Chicago), 39-3Class 4A state champion
7. (9) Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas), 40-1TAPPS 6A state champion
8. (5) Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), 38-5CIF Southern California Open Division semifinalist
9. (12) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 35-5CIF Southern Section Division 1 champion
10. (10) Buford (Ga.), 38-5Class AAAAAAA state champion
11. (13) 'Iolani (Honolulu), 25-5Division I state champion
12. (14) Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.), 45-1Class 6A state champion
13. (15) Pope (Marietta, Ga.), 45-5Class AAAAAA state champion
14. (16) Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.), 30-4Class 4A state champion
15. (19) Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), 40-3Class 6A state champion
16. (21) Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati), 25-3Division I state champion
17. (18) Pace Academy (Atlanta), 42-1Class AAAA state champion
18. (23) Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.), 30-1Non-Public Group A champion
19. (NR) Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.), 32-10Class B state champion
20. (NR) Venice (Fla.), 22-4Class 7A state champion
21. (NR) Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.), 34-5Class A state champion
22. (11) Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), 31-1CIF Open Division runner-up
23. (22) Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.), 39-5Class 6A state champion
24. (NR) Santa Fe (Alachua, Fla.), 30-2Class 4A state champion
25. (NR) Notre Dame Academy (Park Hills, Ky.), 35-5KHSAA state champion
Next 25
Class 5A state champion
Division I Class AAA state champion
Class 5 state champion
Class 4A runner-up
Class AAAAAA runner-up
Class 6A regional finalist
VISAA Division 1 state champion
Class 5A state champion
Class 4A state champion
Class 6A state champion
Class 6A runner-up
Class 4A runner-up
State semifinalist
Class 4A regional finalist
Southern California Open Division quarterfinalist
Southern California Open Division quarterfinalist
Division I runner-up
Class 5A state champion
Class 6A area finalist
Class 2A runner-up
Class 6A regional quarterfinalist
MAIS Division I state champion
Division I state champion
49. Clearwater Central Catholic (Clearwater, Fla.), 21-7Class 3A state champion
