After already securing a fifth-straight season with at least 20 wins, Mission Bay girls volleyball looks forward to a strong playoff showing this season, after a heartbreaking loss to Granite Hills in the opening round of the 2025 playoffs.
“We will probably be seated somewhere between fifth and ninth depending on how we do in our games this week,” said head coach Barbara Birnbaum. “If we get the eighth seed or higher, we host the first-round game on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Mission Bay.
“We are having a really good season, and we are a strong team. We’ve got depth at every position, and every single player has contributed to this team.”
The Bucs opened the season by going 7-2 in the first nine matches, which included a five-game winning streak and only one set lost from Aug. 15 to Aug. 25. After falling 3-0 to Francis Parker on Aug. 27, Mission Bay went on another five-game win streak, which included three shutouts before losing to Otay Ranch on Sept. 5.
“We are in Eastern League, which is a really tough league,” Bimbaum added. “We have a couple of teams in our league that are Div. I teams, but I think we are in good shape for our Div. II in the playoffs.”
The two Div. I teams in the Eastern League are Patrick Henry and Point Loma.
The Bucs bounced back from their defeat to Otay Ranch with back-to-back victories over Clairemont and University City before dropping the next two matches to El Camino and Fallbrook.
This propelled Mission Bay to its longest undefeated streak of the season, where the team beat its next six opponents without losing a set. That streak was followed by five straight losses, two at the hands of Patrick Henry. The Bucs won the next two against Lincoln and La Jolla before losing to Point Loma 3-0 on Oct. 16.
A standout player has been senior Audie Caban, who leads the team in kills, service aces, and blocks. Junior Zara Hedley leads in digs and assists. Ayanna Poole, the team’s top outside hitter, and Annabella Capalbo have also been major contributors to this year’s success.
“Our goal is to win Div. II,” said Bimbaum. “If we can make it to the championship match in Div. II, then we can make it to the state tournament. This is the best team that I’ve had at Mission Bay, and this year is our best chance.”
CIF playoff brackets and seating will be announced on Saturday, Oct. 24, with Mission Bay closing out the regular season on senior night, Oct. 21, versus University City, followed by a road game at Lincoln on Oct. 23.
