Confident Sea Kings visit Dons

Rick Devereux

The Corona del Mar High girls volleyball team is on a mission. The

Sea Kings (26-5) have won seven consecutive matches, a streak that

includes five sweeps. Among the sweep victims was Nipomo, a 25-20,

25-22, 25-17 conquest in the CIF Southern Section Division III-A

title match Nov. 19 at Cypress College.

CdM also rolled over La Jolla, 25-23, 25-17, 25-19, Tuesday in the

Southern California regional quarterfinals of the CIF State Division

III championships.

CdM will travel to University of San Diego High tonight for a

regional semifinal match scheduled to begin at 7.

University (24-10) is the No. 1seed in the Southern California

regionals. The Sea Kings are seeded No. 4.

The Dons swept La Jolla in the CIF San Diego Section Division III

championship match and also won in three over Nipomo in the regional

quarterfinals Tuesday.

University held La Jolla and Nipomo to a combined 101 points. La

Jolla and Nipomo scored 108 points against Corona del Mar.

The common opponents, and the common outcome, might indicate a

fairly even match.

“We played [Nipomo and La Jolla] pretty much the same, which

should make this match fun,” Corona del Mar Coach Bill Christiansen

said. “I don’t know how deep Uni goes to its bench, but we used 17

players against La Jolla.”

University is led by outside hitter Brooke Buringrud and middle

blocker Christine Kennedy.

“[Buringrud] is outstanding, not only at the net, but also in the

back row digging,” Christiansen said. “[Kennedy] is an A-plus

blocker. And their setter [Ashton Rossi] is 5-foot-11. Actually,

their whole team is tall.”

Corona del Mar ranges from 5-6 back-row specialist Breanne Ogden

to 6-2 middle blocker Kasey Kipp. The Sea Kings will also hope to

compensate for their lack of size with experience against the Dons.

“Our team is very confident right now,” Christiansen said. “But

you never know in high school volleyball. Anything can happen. I’m

just happy I have nine seniors on the team.”

The Sea Kings are also keyed by senior UCLA-bound outside hitter

Jordan Smith, senior setter Traci Lawson, senior Britta Nielsen and

sophomore Kelly Christian.

Should Corona del Mar add to its winning streak tonight, it would

meet either No. 2-seeded Santa Margarita or No. 3-seeded Rim of the

World in the regional final Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The state title match is scheduled Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at Cypress

College.