The Monte Vista Christian girls volleyball team will begin its Central Coast Section Division IV title defense on Wednesday night at home against Half Moon Bay High at 7 p.m.
The Mustangs, who received the No. 5 seed in the division, were one of three local volleyball teams to earn a CCS playoff berth.
Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League co-champion Aptos High qualified for the D-III playoffs, while St. Francis High and Mt. Madonna each advanced to the D-V playoffs.
A year after earning a runner-up finish in the division, Aptos (12-7) will try to win its first section title since 1992. The Mariners, who earned the No. 2 seed in D-III, are off until Saturday’s quarterfinal round where they will host No. 7 Sobrato High, of Morgan Hill, at 7 p.m.
M.V.C. (14-14), the third-place finisher in Monterey Bay League’s Gabilan division, is the lone local team playing on Wednesday night.
No. 3 St. Francis (18-10) will host No. 6 Summit Shasta, of Daly City, in Saturday’s D-V quarterfinal round at 7 p.m.
No. 2 Mt. Madonna (14-10) welcomes in the winner of No. 7 Thomas More and No. 10 York at the same date and time.
The Sharks and Hawks tied for fourth in SCCAL and split their two league meetings. The two schools could meet for a third time this season in the semifinals at Thomas More in San Jose next week.
Santa Catalina, which has not lost in the regular season over the past two seasons and last year won the D-V title, was surprisingly not moved up to the Open Division and instead is the No. 1 seed in the bracket.
In D-III, Soquel High earned the No. 1 seed and in D-IV Sacred Heart Prep, a team the Mustangs last season edged for their first CCS title since 1997, is the top seed.
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No. 6 Aptos will host No. 3 Menlo on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the CCS Division II playoffs.
Aptos finished the season with an 18-6 record, took second in the MBL-Gabilan division and finished runner-up to Soquel High in Saturday’s league championship.
If the Mariners win on Saturday, Aptos will play either No. 2 Sobrato or No. 7 Gilroy High next week in the semifinals.
