Breakers looking for three-peat

It might be just the start to the 2008 girls’ volleyball season for the Laguna Beach Breakers, but Coach Lance Stewart can see the end result.

“I think we will be really good by the end of the year,” Stewart said of his outlook on his team. “I think the key is to stay healthy, and we need to be consistent. Those two things are really important.”

With five starters among seven players returning from last year’s highly successful team, Laguna again figures to be in the hunt for a CIF Southern Section championship.

Actually, the Breakers might be the hunted this year.

Winning two straight Southern Section titles will put a program in such a position, but Stewart doesn’t mind if there is a target on the Maroon and White jerseys.

Last year’s Breakers went 25-7.

“I like it,” he said. “Everyone wants to be the best and right now, we’re in that position. The challenge is to be there and that’s where Laguna Beach volleyball should be. I really think the girls are up for the challenge this year.”

A pair of seniors, setter Alexandra Palmer and outside hitter Piper Obradovich, are returning All-CIF players on the court for the Breakers. Other starters returning are senior Paulette GrandPre, who last year was a middle blocker but this year has been moved to the outside, junior opposite setter Alexandra Reickoff and senior opposite Kameron Combs.

Senior quick hitter Ari Palmer and senior defensive specialist Chanel Wyett also return from last year’s title-winning team.

Seven newcomers complete the varsity roster: junior outside hitters Kassidy Burgess and Eden Radovich, junior opposite Haylee Wyett, sophomore outside hitter Chanel Stewart, sophomore middle blocker Makenzie Hester, freshman setter Allison Palmer and freshman blocker Caroline Holte.

“Piper and Alexandra (Palmer) are two top players at their positions in the county and with a solid group back and some talent coming up, we’ll make a run for three straight (titles),” Lance Stewart said. “For the past two years, I thought we flat-out had more talent than everybody. This year we have talent, but we need to play as a complete team. We have to be a little more balanced.”

The schedule is killer. Beyond a season opening match at home Thursday against JSerra, there’s the Dave Mohs Tournament in Huntington Beach and the Torrey Pines Challenge in San Diego, as well as nonleague matchups against traditional powers Torrey Pines, Newport Harbor, Mira Costa and Corona del Mar.

Mira Costa defeated Newport Harbor in the semifinals last year en route to winning the Division I-AA championship. Corona del Mar was eliminated in the Division II-AA semifinals by a Bishop Montgomery squad that would be swept by Laguna in the title match.

“It’s rugged,” Stewart said of the schedule. “In order to be the best you need to play the best, and we’ll be doing that. We’ll be tested right out of the gate.”

Stewart said that another power program, Marymount, as well as Dos Pueblos and the teams in the Channel League, have been added to Laguna’s CIF division this year, while Corona del Mar has moved to a different division.

MIKE SCIACCA covers sports. He can be reached at (949) 494-4321 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.