Playoffs continue

It won’t be decided until later tonight, but the CIF Southern Section Division II quarterfinals look too easy to predict. The top four teams, Valencia, Santa Barbara, Corona del Mar, and Dos Pueblos are all playing tonight at 7, with the Sea Kings playing at West Valley.

All four teams have hovered at the top of the Division II coaches’ polls all year, with CdM taking the No. 3 spot to itself after being tied with Laguna Beach for much of the season. The Sea Kings lost to a hot-hitting Valencia team in the semifinal of the Santa Barbara tournament earlier this season.

The Sea Kings, undefeated Pacific Coast League champions and the defending CIF champions, were missing starting setter Connor Bannan in first-round play against Pacifica. Bannan, who had the flu, was back for most of Tuesday night’s match against Santa Ana. He had about half his usually tally with 21 assists, but the Sea Kings were buttressed by the presence of backup junior Michael Ensign.

Third-seeded Sage Hill could find itself on a collision course with either Academy League rival St. Margaret’s or defending champion Viewpoint with a win tonight over Chadwick, ranked No. 7 in Division V in the last regular season coaches’ poll. With outside hitter Bayle Smith in full form, along with Carl Hillgren and Joey Booth, the veteran trio should prove to be a formidable offensive combination.

The Lightning are at home again after their serving proved to be the death knell for Bellarmine-Jefferson Tuesday.

The Lightning handily swept Bell-Jeff, 25-17, 25-10, 25-20, to advance and are favored against the Dolphins. A Sage Hill meeting with No. 6-ranked St. Margaret’s in the semifinals could be a stretch for the Tartans.

Meanwhile, top-seeded Newport Harbor inched closer to a CIF Division I title with a sweep over Tesoro Tuesday, to win its 19th straight match. But, the target on the Sailors’ backs hasn’t shrunken.

They will play host to San Clemente, the South Coast League champion ranked eighth in the last regular season coaches’ poll.

Thursday afternoon, they were in “the dungeon,” Coach Dan Glenn’s pet name for the Harbor gym, reviewing video of San Clemente.

SORAYA NADIA MCDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or soraya.mcdonald@latimes.com.