Sierra Canyon faced a familiar foe Saturday night in the Southern California women's volleyball division semifinals at Chatsworth.
The Trailblazers needed five match points to decisively defeat Mission League rival Marymount (25-18, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23) and move within two wins of the state title.
It was the fifth meeting between the teams, the best in a season between two Southern Section schools in the same league since 2006, when Bay League rivals Redondo Union and Mira Costa also met five times. Sierra Canyon improved to 11-2 in its last 13 best-of-five-set matches against Marymount, including the last seven straight, although none of them were easy.
Lucky Fasavalu was the top player in Sierra Canyon's four-set win over Marymount in the Southern California Regional semifinals in Chatsworth on Nov. 15, 2025.
(Steve Galluzzo/For The Times)
“Every time we play them it gets harder because they know our tendencies,” said Missouri setter Lucky Fasavalu, who dished out 44 assists. “It makes us better, but it makes them better too.”
Hannah McGinest had 15 kills, the last of which ended the match. McKenna McIntosh had 13 kills and 15 digs, Kendall Omoruyi had 13 kills and four blocks and Eva Jeffries added eight kills and eight digs for Sierra Canyon.
Washington's Sammy Destler led Marymount with 20 kills, seven of them in the second set. Elle Vandeweghe had 14 kills, Caitlin Oerlemans added 13 and Olivia Penske had 41 assists for the Sailors, who pushed the Trailblazers to five sets in the section semifinals.
Top-seeded Sierra Canyon (41-3), which already set the program record for wins in a season, improved to 4-1 this fall against the fifth-ranked Sailors (38-7) and did not lose a game in California (three of its losses came in out-of-state tournaments).
After defeating Mater Dei for the first time in its history to win the Division 1 South title, Sierra Canyon will try to make it back-to-back against the visiting Monarchs on Tuesday night in the regional final. Sierra Canyon's four-set victory Nov. 8 at Cerritos College was the first of 10 tries against Mater Dei, which beat Torrey Pines in four sets in Saturday's other semifinal.
“They’re both incredible teams,” Fasavalu said, referring to Marymount and Mater Dei. “Marymount is scrappy, has guns everywhere and has two great centers. Mater Dei's bowlers are explosive and they have great game IQ. Both are full of seniors, so they really want to win – but so do we!”
When asked if she was happy playing for Mater Dei, Fasavalu said she was happy because her cousin Westley Matavao plays for the No. 2 Monarchs (33-5).
“We know how good they are, but we can play great volleyball,” Fasavalu said. “I have a great opportunity as a setter. McKenna and Kendall are very demanding of the ball, and it's my job to read the other side of the net and see where the mismatches are.”
