HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP : Top Three Players Advance in Girls’ Tennis

As they have shown in several of the fall sports’ playoffs, the high school seeding committees have been fairly accurate. Certainly that applies to the committee controlling the San Diego Section girls’ individual tennis tournament.

The top three seeded players and possibly all four in singles and three of the top four seeded doubles team advanced through Wednesday’s third round and quarterfinals and into today’s semifinals, beginning at 2:30 at Rancho Bernardo High.

In singles, top-seeded Barbara Valkova of Grossmont dropped only five games in two matches to advance. Valkova has the chance to become the second East County athlete and Grossmont’s first to win the girls’ singles title. Katrina Crawford of Valhalla won East County’s only title in 1984.

Valkova will meet either third-seeded Tami Byrd or sixth-seeded Megan Coakley of USDHS today. The quarterfinal match between Byrd and Coakley was called because of darkness in the third set with Byrd leading, 5-2.

Defending champion Betsy Miringoff (No. 2) of Torrey Pines and Monte Vista’s Vanessa Rooks (No. 4) meet in the other semifinal.

Girls’ volleyball playoffs

In the Division V Section tournament, last year’s finalists won semifinal matches to advance to Saturday’s championship. Two-time defending champion Christian turned back Calipatria, 15-4, 15-2, 15-9, and last year’s runner-up Bishop’s defeated Calvin Christian, 15-7, 15-12, 20-18.

For Christian (20-4), junior outside hitter Leeana Miller had 23 kills and five aces. Teammates Kellie Gangwisch added 16 kills and Sarah Dawson had 40 assists.

It is the Patriots’ third consecutive trip to the title game and the third appearance for Miller, senior outside hitter Gangwisch, senior setter Sarah Dawson and junior outside hitter Ruth Dawson.

Allison Newell contributed 14 kills, Kaylie Orr had six kills and five blocks and Lauren Bilger also had six kills for Bishop’s (23-4). The Knights have nine of their 12 players back from last year’s team. Returners who will start their second championship match are juniors Newell and Kielty Gallagher and seniors Orr, Bilger and Mandy Kirsten.