Girls’ Volleyball: Hodson leaves CdM

Hayley Hodson has missed time before with the Corona del Mar High girls’ volleyball team because of a grand opportunity to join one of the U.S. women’s national teams.

She will now miss an entire season at CdM because of another opportunity with Team USA.

Hodson, who has verbally committed to Stanford, will not play for the Sea Kings as a senior next season, said her mother, Sonya, in an email.

“When [U.S. women’s national volleyball coach] Karch Kiraly invited her to be in the USA women’s winter training block, unfortunately, CdM could not accommodate her daily training schedule,” said Sonya, adding that her daughter trained with the national team from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on most days.

Sonya said Hodson is no longer enrolled at CdM, where she starred as an outside hitter for three seasons, earning Daily Pilot Newport-Mesa Dream Team honors every year, along with All-CIF Southern Section Division 1AA accolades twice. Hodson is enrolled at Laurel Springs School, an accredited private online school, said Sonya.

“She plans to continue her senior year with Laurel Springs,” Sonya said.

Hodson, the Dream Team Player of the Year and Pacific Coast League MVP last season, recently made the U.S. women’s junior national team. She and her team will compete at the NORCECA Women’s Under-20 Continental Championship on July 6-14 in Guatemala.

As a junior at CdM, Hodson missed 10 days of school and eight matches to help the U.S. place fourth at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Under-23 World Championships in Mexico in October. She returned to CdM and the Sea Kings won their eighth straight league title, reached the CIF Southern Section Division 1AA quarterfinals, and finished 25-6 overall. Hodson produced 407 kills and a .356 hitting percentage.

Sea Kings Coach Steve Astor expected every starter back next season, except for one. With Hodson gone, that makes it two starters lost.