By Zach Cavanagh
For in-game updates, news and more for all of the Dana Hills High School sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCSports.
Two Teams Named to CIF-SS Preseason Watch Lists
As the fall sports season kicks into gear, the CIF-SS began releasing its 2019 lists of teams to watch.
The lists showcase the teams that could potentially show up in the rankings throughout the season, but the teams are just presented alphabetically, with the first numbered rankings appearing shortly after the seasons begin.
While football gets the buzz, girls volleyball was officially the first sport to kick off the fall sports season on Aug. 17, and Dana Hills made the cut on the Division 1 & 2 list.
Two South Coast League teams made the list, including the reigning league champion Dolphins and Trabuco Hills. Rival San Clemente, currently in the Sea View League, also made the list.
Boys water polo is one of the next sports to open, with first games scheduled on Aug. 26, and Dana Hills also made the Division 1 & 2 list.
Longtime rival San Clemente joined the list with the Dolphins, and fellow South Coast League opponent San Juan Hills made the Division 4 list.
Dana Hills boys water polo opens the season on Aug. 28 at Woodbridge. The Dolphins begin South Coast League play at home against San Clemente on Sept. 17.
Girls Volleyball Opens 2019 Season
Dana Hills has started the 2019 girls volleyball season with a pair of run-ins against local neighbor Laguna Beach.
The Dolphins opened the season in the Tesoro Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 17 and Monday, Aug. 19. Dana Hills marched through pool play and the playoffs and swept Bishop Montgomery in the semifinals on the way to play Laguna Beach in the Final.
Dana Hills took the first set, 25-22, but the Breakers stormed back to dominate the second and third sets, 25-13 and 15-8, to win the tournament.
Dana Hills’ Avery Alleman and Maura Hayes were named to the all-tournament team.
The Dolphins and Breakers met again just two days later in a nonleague match at Laguna Beach.
The match swung back and forth, with Laguna Beach taking the first and third sets and Dana Hills taking the second and fourth sets. The decisive fifth set was tight, but the Breakers beat the Dolphins again, 25-19, 21-25, 25-17, 17-25, 15-13.
Dana Hills is next in action at the Dave Mohs Tournament on Sept. 6, and the Dolphins play at San Clemente on Sept. 12.
Zach Cavanagh
Zach Cavanagh is the sports editor for Picket Fence Media. Zach is a California Journalism Award winner and has covered sports in Orange County since 2013. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @ZachCav and follow our sports coverage on Twitter @SouthOCSports.
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