Field stacked for memorial tournament

Some of the top girls’ volleyball teams will compete at six county high schools over a three-day period beginning Friday when the Dave Mohs Memorial Tournament gets underway.

Edison High is the official host of the event but action also will take place at gymnasiums on the campuses of Marina, Huntington Beach, Newport Harbor, Costa Mesa and Corona del Mar.

“The tournament is very strong this year,” Edison Coach Trent Jackson said. “There are 32 teams in Division I, and 24 teams in Division 2.”

The tournament will feature four-team pool play beginning Friday at 3 p.m. and pool play runs through Saturday morning, beginning at 8 a.m. The championship finals in each division will be played Monday at the Dave Mohs Gymnasium at Edison, beginning with Division 2.

Division I has 32 teams that will be split into a 16-team championship bracket and two, eight-team consolation brackets, after pool play. Teams in Division 2 will be split into an upper bracket with the first- and second-place teams from each pool, plus two six-team consolation brackets.

Seventeen of the CIF-Southern Section schools competing in the tournament are ranked in their respective division’s top 10 poll.

Pool play and sites

Division I

Pool I (at Edison High): Santa Margarita; Tesoro, Temecula Valley, Ayala.

Pool 2 (at Newport Harbor High): Newport Harbor; Dos Pueblos, Woodbridge, Hemet.

Pool 3 (at Edison High): Laguna Beach, Edison, San Clemente, Downey.

Pool 4: (at Edison High): Esperanza, Rosary, Santa Barbara, Valencia/Valencia.

Pool 5 (at Newport Harbor High): Vista Murrieta, El Toro, Peninsula, Valencia/Placentia.

Pool 6 (at Marina High): Harvard/Westlake, Mission Viejo, Marina, Brea Olinda.

Pool 7 (at Marina High): Corona del Mar, Bishop Montgomery, Upland, Carlsbad.

Pool 8 (at Marina High): Lakewood, El Dorado, Royal, Redlands.

Division 2

Pool 1 (at Newport Harbor): Dana Hills, Seton Catholic, Fullerton, Costa Mesa.

Pool 2 (at Corona del Mar High): Great Oak, Troy, Long Beach Jordan, Canyon/Anaheim.

Pool 3 (at Huntington Beach High): Huntington Beach, Murrieta Valley, Irvine, Norco.

Pool 4 (at Huntington Beach High): Francis Parker, Capistrano Valley, Cypress, Elsinore.

Pool 5 (at Huntington Beach High): Morgan (Utah), Fountain Valley, La Habra, Liberty/Brentwood.

Pool 6 (at Corona del Mar): El Modena, St. Margaret’s, Calvary Chapel, Hart.

In girls’ volleyball action:

Huntington Beach got its 2006 season off to a great start on Sept. 7 by defeating visiting Fountain Valley, 25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 25-7. Lindsey Benac led the Oilers with nine kills and Jamie Letua paced the defense with eight digs.

Last Friday, Kim Clarke and the Oilers suffered their initial loss of the 2006 season but the first-year head coach was pleased with her team’s performance in a 25-20, 25-21, 25-10 setback against a highly ranked Laguna Beach team.

Benac finished with eight kills, Letua recorded 17 digs and Clarke said that freshman Kellie Turner “proved to be a huge threat tonight” with two stuffs and several blocks against a talented Laguna offense. Benac, a senior and only one of two returning starters and three returners, overall, from last year — the Oilers lost 10 players to graduation in June — has committed to North Carolina State, Clarke said.

“Laguna was surprising and extremely encouraging,” Clarke said of Friday’s match. “We were all able to walk out of there with our heads high. We challenged Laguna with our defense, led by Jamie Letua and two middles, Kellie Turner and Brooke Mullins.

“Our offense was led by new senior setter, Kalyn Klaess and senior Lindsay Benac with her crafty shots. Lindsay is fun to watch and hard to defend against.”

Clarke, a four-year varsity player at Huntington from 1991-94 and former varsity assistant coach at the school, took over the head coaching position from her former Oilers coach, Rocky Ciarelli.

Edison began its season with a pair of stirring victories. The Chargers went the distance to defeat both Mission Viejo (23-25, 25-20, 25-17, 19-25, 15-11) and Mater Dei (23-25, 28-26, 25-19, 20-25, 16-14.

In the Mission Viejo victory, Kari Pestolesi had 19 kills and 14 digs and Meaghan Vernon 12 kills and eight digs.

Pestolesi also came up big against Mater Dei by recording 30 kills and 22 digs.

In field hockey:

Louisville scored a late goal and the Royals made it stand in a 1-0 win over visiting Edison, spoiling the season opener for the Chargers at Woodland Hills.

Previously, the Chargers had scrimmaged at Huntington Beach and came away with a 2-1 win. Lauren Barteske and Karisa Sadler each scored goals and goalie Danielle Herrington helped Edison to the win.