girls’ volleyball wins ocean league, on to cif
The Santa Monica High School girls’ varsity volleyball team finished the 2024 fall regular Ocean League season as champions with a 19-5-1 overall record, clinching a spot in CIF playoffs.
As the season progressed, the Vikings managed to win two out of their first four games, but they quickly made up for their losses with a 10-game winning streak, propelling them to second place in the Ocean League. In the following month, the Vikings won eight out of their 11 games, ending their season with a record of 19-5-1. Coach Liane Sato had high expectations for the team and has continued to maintain her confidence in the team's success throughout the season.
“The team has worked incredibly hard this season and in preseason to make sure that they're playing at their absolute best in each game. We make sure to keep our energy high and always have fun while still keeping a strong focus on the game. I'm so proud of how the team came together this year and how hard they worked to win the Ocean League Championship,” Sato said.
Team captains Jane Robinson (’25) and Jasmine Martinez (’26) are exceptionally proud of their ever-growing team and all of the developments they've made throughout the season.
“As captain, I have tried to really focus on what our girls need individually in order to play our best as a cohesive team. This has been such a great season, I am so proud of us for winning league and I'm super excited to support my team in the play-offs!” Robinson said.
Martinez highlights the work they've put in throughout the season and how it has continued to propel them to win League and move into playoffs.
“Our team has been working super hard this season, so seeing it pay off by winning league made us all super happy. Our goals going into playoffs are to give our best in both practice and games so we can push ourselves to improve. I'm super proud of how much our team has grown this season and how well we’ve been working together. It has been such an amazing season and I'm so proud of us regardless of how far we get in playoffs,” Martinez said.
The Vikings won their first CIF match 3-0 against West Valley on Oct. 24, followed by a 3-2 win against Hillcrest on Oct. 26. They face Newbury Park at home on Wednesday, Oct. 30 in their next CIF matchup.