Torrey Pines finishes as national champion after blitzing through impressive field to win CIF Open Division crown.
Video: Final Top 25 volleyball rankingsTorrey Pines finishes No. 1 after winning state title in California.
When Torrey Pines (San Diego) finished off Marin Catholic (Kentfield) with a 25-11, 25-23, 25-14 sweep in the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division volleyball final, the Falcons capped an impressive run past four Top 25 teams on the way to the Golden State pinnacle, a 39-2 mark and ultimately a MaxPreps national championship.
Torrey Pines finishes ahead of Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas), victors in the brutal UIL 6A bracket and New Castle (Ind.), which took home the 4A title after winning the 3A title three straight seasons.
All three teams were models of consistency this season, but at the end of the day, Torrey Pines' route to a state title — in addition to its national schedule — gives the Falcons the edge and the nod for the national honor.
In order to get the No. 1 seed in the Southern California portion of the Open Division bracket, the Falcons first had to handle Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), winners of the Durango Fall Classics earlier in the season, in the San Diego Section finals. In the Open Division bracket, all Torrey Pines did was slice past Marymount (Los Angeles), Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and the Wildcats in the finals — all Top 25 teams.
Torrey Pines players celebrate winning the CIF Open Division title over Marin Catholic.
Photo by Heston Quan
"I can't imagine another team in the country having as much depth as we do," Falcons coach Brennan Dean
told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
That might be true as Torrey Pines had six hitters with more than 100 kills — led by
Delaynie Maple with 345,
Maya Satchell with 319 and
Megan Kraft with 299. The Falcons also have senior
Carly Diehl as setter, dishing up 1,076 assists on the year, while the team tallied nearly 1,500 digs.
In the end, the Falcons' two losses (to La Costa Canyon and California Division 1 state title winner Vista Murrieta), coupled with a slew of quality wins over nationally ranked foes gave Torrey Pines an edge over both Byron Nelson and New Castle.
The Bobcats won their first UIL 6A crown behind the stellar play of national player of the year front-runner
Paige Flickinger and
Charitie Luper, who was named MVP of the postseason tournament. Byron Nelson downed previous Top 10 Flower Mound in the regional quarterfinals and then handled Clemens (Shertz) and Plano West in state semis and finals. One of the Bobcats' losses was to nationally ranked Redondo Union at the season-opening Ann Kang Invitational, but the other was to 24-22 Keller in league play.
Meanwhile, the Trojans — led by the powerhouse Shaffmaster sisters,
Mabrey and
Melani — wrapped up the Indiana 4A title on Nov. 9 with a 3-1 win over Hamilton Southeastern to capture a fourth straight Hoosier State title (New Castle had won three previous 3A titles before being bumped to 4A this season). The lone loss was to national No. 11 Assumption, but at the end of the day the strength of schedule wasn't as strong as either Torrey Pines or Byron Nelson.
Past MaxPreps National Champions
2010 — Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
2011 — Papillion-LaVista (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.)
Final Top 50 Volleyball RankingsCalifornia Open Division champion; CIF San Diego Section Open Division champion
2. (5) Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas), 50-2Texas 6A state champion
3. (1) New Castle (Ind.), 35-1Indiana 4A champion
4. (6) Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.), 41-1Illinois Division 1 champion
5. (4) Green Hope (Cary, N.C.), 27-2North Carolina 4A champion
6. (12) Mercy (Farmington Hills, Mich.), 57-1Michigan Division 1 champion
7. (19) Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.), 33-4New Jersey Non-Public champion; New Jersey Tournament of Champions titlist
8. (9) Cedar Falls (Iowa), 45-1Iowa Class 5A champion
9. (10) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 38-4CIF Southern California Open Division semifinalist
10. (3) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 30-6CIF Southern California Open Division runner up
11. (7) Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), 36-7Kentucky state champion
12. (18) Plano West (Plano, Texas), 40-6Texas 6A runner up
13. (16) Marymount (Los Angeles), 33-5CIF Southern California Open Division semifinalist
14. (17) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 30-6CIF Southern California Open Division semifinalist; Durango Fall Classic champion
15. (8) Ridge Point (Missouri City, Texas), 46-5Texas 6A state semifinalist
16. (15) Marist (Chicago), 37-3Illinois Division 1 third place finisher
17. (23) Christian (Grand Rapids, Mich.), 44-3Michigan Division 2 champion
18. (24) Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas), 48-5Texas 5A champion
19. (NR) St. Francis DeSales (Columbus, Ohio), 27-2Ohio Division 1 champion
20. (13) Marin Catholic (Kentfield, Calif.), 35-4California Open Division runner up
21. (14) Padua Franciscan (Parma, Ohio), 28-1Ohio Division 1 runner up
22. (11) Flower Mound (Texas), 41-4Texas 6A regional quarterfinalist
23. (20) McIntosh (Peachtree City, Ga.), 36-1Georgia AAAAA champion
24. (21) Nation Ford (Fort Mill, S.C.), 48-5-1South Carolina AAAAA champion
25. (25) Leon (Tallahassee, Fla.), 29-3Florida 6A champion
Next 2526. Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.), 26-2Florida 4A champion
27. Kamehameha Kapalama (Honolulu), 29-4Hawaii Division champion
28. North Raleigh Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.), 31-4NCISAA 4A champion
29. Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.), 39-4TSSAA Division II champion
30. Yorktown (Ind.), 28-2Indiana 4A runner up
31. The Woodlands (Texas), 47-5Texas 6A regional semifinals
32. Walton (Marietta, Ga.), 32-8Georgia AAAAAAA champion
33. Eagan (Minn.), 36-1Minnesota Class AAA runner up
34. Papillion-LaVista (Papillion, Neb.), 36-2Nebraska Class A runner up
35. Providence (Clarksville, Ind.), 29-2Indiana 4A regional runner up
36. Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), 34-7Kansas 5A champion
37. Jonesboro (Ark.), 35-0Arkansas 5A champion
38. Jesuit (Portland, Ore.), 25-4Oregon 6A champion
39. Lowell (Mich.), 55-4Michigan Division 1 runner up
40. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 36-4CIF Division 1 semifinalist
41. North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.), 15-1-1PIAA 4A champion
42. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.), 42-3Wisconsin Division I champion
43. St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 40-3Kansas 5A runner up
44. Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.), 34-5Nebraska Class B champion
45. Mercy (Louisville, Ky.), 31-7Kentucky state runner up
46. Flint Hill (Oakton, Va.), 31-1Virginia Division 1 champion
47. Capital (Helena, Mont.), 33-0Montana AA champion
48. Ridgefield (Wash.), 30-0-1Washington state 2A champion
49. Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.), 38-9Georgia AAAA champion
50. Basha (Chandler, Ariz.), 26-16Arizona 6A champion
