The volleyball season was still in its infancy when Katie Fuller, Kendall Polan and Lydia Rudnick were sitting together on the floor of the La Costa Canyon High gym.
The trio, fresh off a trip to Las Vegas, were beaming with pride at the thought of returning to town as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.
It was all so new for the Mavericks, who had been dominant on the local stage but for the first time were being considered among the nation's volleyball elite.
The LCC players didn't want their newly found status to be a flash in the pan.
gOur main goal is be the best we can be at the end of the season, so when state comes, we're prepared for that,h Polan, a junior setter, said at the time. gWhat happens now is important, but we want to be at our best at the end.h
Thirty-seven matches, countless practices, a pair of painful injuries and more lineup changes than coach Pat McDougall would have liked, and the Mavericks are exactly where they wanted to be at the end.
La Costa Canyon (36-1) is one of a record four San Diego Section teams that will compete today in the Girls Volleyball State Championships at the UC Irvine Bren Events Center.
The Division I Mavericks join Division III Cathedral Catholic and Division V Tri-City Christian in making their first appearances.
Santa Fe Christian is back for a sixth time and hoping to win title No. 4.
gI don't ever remember there being this many,h section Commissioner Dennis Ackerman said. gMaybe two, but never four. It's just amazing.h
The only way to top it would be to win a state title or two or three or four.
Regardless of today's outcome, players and coaches have enjoyed the ride.
gIt feels terrific,h McDougall said.
LCC breaks through
After La Costa Canyon swept host Santa Margarita of Orange County to reach the state final, McDougall said he had a phone call to make.
The second-year coach of the Mavericks said he was looking forward to chatting with former LCC coach Ed Machado, who took the Mavericks to the Southern California Regional championship match multiple times.
The Mavericks finally broke through to the state title match this year, and the timing couldn't be better.
In avenging its only loss of the season, against Santa Margarita, LCC has the opportunity to finish the season again ranked No. 1 in the nation.
It is a feat that has not been accomplished by a local team since 2000, when Bonita Vista won the state and the mythical national championship behind national Player of the Year Jennifer Saleaumua.
gAs a team, I think it's all of our dream to win state,h said Fuller, who will play next year at USC. gPersonally, as a senior it would be the perfect ending to my high school career. This team has the energy and motivation to go in Saturday and leave it all on the court.h
Cathedral debut
On the eve of the biggest volleyball match in Cathedral Catholic history, the Dons volleyball players were cheering for the school's football team, which played in the section Division III semifinals last night against rival St. Augustine.
It was a welcome break from preparing for the state final. Despite winning 10 section titles in 11 years, Cathedral Catholic hadn't reached a state finale.
The Dons finally made it this year, something coach Kelly Drobeck said was a tribute to the focus of the 12 players on her roster.
gEvery single one of them bought into the team goal at the beginning,h Drobeck said. gFor whatever reason, they finally get it. They know how to compete.h
Cathedral Catholic proved that with three consecutive three-game sweeps in the regionals, setting up a meeting today with San Francisco's Sacred Heart Cathedral, Northern California's No. 3 seed.
The Dons would be willing to play anyone for a shot at a state title.
Said Drobeck: gWe have to finish our last goal.h
SF Christian returns
Last year, the Eagles finished a whirlwind season with a three-game victory over San Jose Harker to clinch a state championship.
This time around, the road was bumpier.
After dropping the section final to rival Bishop's in four games, Santa Fe Christian entered the regional final seeded behind the Knights (31-6) and playing in La Jolla.
The Eagles turned the tide on Bishop's and won the match in three games.
gMy gut feeling is that this year's team thought everything would fall into place just like last year,h Santa Fe Christian coach Gail Malone said. gThis year's team had to learn that no one was going to give anything to us easy just because we won last year. In the end, the losses would turn out to be blessings because the team would have to dig in deep and play with more passion.h
New deal for Tri-City
Three Division V state titles have been won by San Diego Section teams – Francis Parker in 1998 and Santa Fe Christian in 2003 and 2005.
After a pair of tries that ended one match short, the Eagles will have their opportunity to do the same.
Tri-City Christian coach Kristen Wright said she saw this kind of potential in her team as the season went on.
gWe may not have a go-to (player) all the time, but this is the deepest team Tri-City has ever had and the most well-rounded team I've ever coached,h Wright said after her team won the regional final.
That will be key to the Eagles continuing a tradition of success in a division where state championships have come easiest for San Diego Section teams.
Nicole Vargas: (619) 293-1390; nicole.vargas@uniontrib.com
