Local girls win back-to-back volleyball championships

Laguna Beach Volleyball Club’s 14 and under team won the 14-Open Division of the USA Junior National Southern California Qualifier Tournament held April 3-5, 2009, in Anaheim, beating top teams from the Southwestern United States.

Two weeks earlier, the team won the Pacific Northwest Qualifier Tournament (14-Open Division) held in Spokane, Washington, March 20-22, 2009.

The team is one of only a few volleyball teams in the nation that has qualified to compete in the 14-Open Division (the highest division for this age group) at the USA Junior Olympic Girls Volleyball Championships, to be held in Miami, Florida, June 26 – July 5, 2009.

Michael Soylular, director of the club, is the team’s head coach, and former U.S. Olympic player “Wiz” Bachman McCutcheon and Tim Mennealy are the assistant coaches.

Pictured are (front row, left to right): Hannah Gleason, Kalysta White, and Taylor Whittingham; (middle row, left to right): Shannon Griffin, Kelsey Humphreys, and Brittany Ptak; (back row, left to right): Coach Tim Mennealy, Alyssa McIvor, Kristie Hewko, Sofia Lavin, Kyra Goodman, Coach “Wiz” McCutcheon, and Coach Michael Soylular.