July 8, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Windward Upsets Samohi 3-0 In CIF Volleyball Semi-Finals: Windward To Play Rim Of The World In CIF Southern Section Finals

Windward High School (15-4) defeated Santa Monica High School (12-3) upsetting a top-notch Vikings team in three sets 25-13, 25-22, and 25-13 Tuesday night at Windward High School.

With the win, Windward advances to the CIF Southern Section championship game and Samohi’s season is over.

Wildcats Head Coach Michelle McGuire was proud of Windward’s victory and egged on her team near the end of the third set saying, “now put them away,” while the Wildcat crowd sang the Beatles song “Hey Jude.”

“Our ball control was pretty solid and our blocking really came around,” said McGuire. “In all fairness their setter Blossom Sato did not play. She is a great setter, and I think that had them out of system.”

Sato did play during the third set but to a limited capacity and the Vikings may have been holding her back so that she could recover from an ankle injury in order to be ready for a potential finals game.

“We have to give credit to our team,” said McGuire. “We served really well to help keep them out of system and all of our big guns had good nights offensively.”

The cards seemed to be stacked against Samohi from the beginning of the game from a raucous student body crowd to a free pre-game barbeque for the Windward fans.

In the first set, Asha Walker led the way recording three of her season high five aces to lead Windward to a 25-13 win.

During the second set, Santa Monica High School seemed to recover a bit from the shell-shock of losing the first set by eight points, but the recovery wasn’t enough to swing the Vikings back in the game.

“Since July, serve receive has been the emphasis and it is what got us here,” said McGuire. “When that breaks down, even good teams will struggle.”

After at timeout at 18-16, the Wildcats settled down and stopped a Vikings comeback and posted a 25-22 win.

Finally at 7-1 in the third set, the wheels came off for good for the Vikings and a silence fell over the Samohi fans while the Windward crowd could smell victory.

According to McGuire sophomore libero Alex Saghian, who leads the team in digs, has an “amazing knack for being where the ball is,” and saved potential kills whacked by powerful Vikings outside hitters Joslyn Hayes, Jordan Levy, and Wiktoria Surowka.

“We wouldn’t be here without her,” said McGuire.

Saghian didn’t seem to let any of the Vikings balls hit the floor leading the defense with 19 digs while Tae-Leon Butler spearheaded the Wildcat offense posting 13 kills.

Windward’s senior setter Hannah Holmes anchored the front line recording 24 assists and four kills in the CIF Southern Section Semi-Finals game against the Vikings while sophomore Christina Cornelius had eight kills and five blocks.

Saghian believes that her team has worked hard to be able advance to the CIF Southern Section finals.

“My team works really hard in practices and in this game it really showed off how much sweat we put into this,” said Saghian.

Next game for Windward is against Rim of the World High School (25-3) in the CIF Southern Section 3AA Championship finals at Santiago Canyon College Saturday, Nov. 17 at 9 a.m.

in News
<>Related Posts

Anti-Drunk Driving Resolution Introduced as City Council Honors Late Palisades Teen Killed in Crash

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Levi, who was set to attend the University of Virginia this fall, was killed by a drunk driver on May...

Free and Reduced Price School Meals Available for Eligible Families in Santa Monica-Malibu District

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Parents in Need Encouraged to Apply, SMMUSD Commits to Nutritious, Accessible Meals By Brandyi Phillips, SMMUSD Chief Communications Officer Santa...

Big Blue Bus to Raise Fares for First Time in Nearly a Decade

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The fare increase aims to offset rising costs for fuel, utilities, and supplies, according to the agency. The Santa Monica...

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

Santa Monica’s 150th Anniversary to be Celebrated with Vibrant State of the City Event

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, beach chairs, and picnics to enjoy during the performances Santa Monica will mark its...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...

(Video) Hundreds of Drones Light up the Sky for Palisades to Celebrate July 4th

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The Event Marked One of the First Large Gatherings Among Palisadians Since the January Wildfires. The Event Marked One of...

Transform Your Life: The Free Virtual ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT Debuts July 18-20, 2025

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT, a transformative three-day virtual event, is coming, July 18-20, 2025, offering participants worldwide a free opportunity...

Santa Monica Home Defies Convention: Architect Eric Owen Moss Debuts Shape-Shifting Design

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Pistachio-Colored Marvel Boasts Curving Walls, Sharp Angles, and Challenging Design A striking residence in Santa Monica is turning heads with...

Caitlyn Jenner’s Friend and Former Foundation CEO Dies in Malibu ATV Crash

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

ATV Plummeted 350 Feet After Rear-Ending Vehicle in Malibu Sophia Hutchins, former CEO of the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation and longtime...

New SaMo Bridge Program Refers 56 People in First Month; 37 Connected to Services

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

According to city officials, the program is on pace to meet its goal of serving 260 individuals annually Santa Monica’s...

Multi-Family Venice Property on Rare Double Lot Lists at Over $5M

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

In total, the four units provide 5,398 square feet of living space A multi-family property located one block from Venice...

Hama Sushi Hosts Weekly Music and Comedy Open Mics

July 5, 2025

July 5, 2025

The venue, a Venice Beach staple since 1979, has recently expanded its legendary happy hour to the entire patio Hama...

Connections Breakfast to Network Local Business Professionals in Malibu

July 5, 2025

July 5, 2025

The event, sponsored by Malibu Country Mart, will feature a breakfast mixer where attendees can meet new contacts  A Connections...

12th Annual Gopher Scramble Golf Tournament to Benefit Venice Heritage Museum

July 5, 2025

July 5, 2025

The museum opened to the public in March 2024 at the Main Street Design Center with its inaugural exhibition, “This...