Ramona hosts JV volleyball tournament

Ramona High School hosted the JV Fall Classic girls volleyball tournament Oct. 24 at the Epic Volleyball Center in Poway.

The JV Fall Classic consisted of 20 teams who began competition with pool play and concluded with one-game bracket elimination matches. Torrey Pines won the tournament with a 25-21 victory in the finals over La Costa Canyon. Ramona’s junior varsity team finished third in its pool before losing in the first round of bracket play.

Kyle Adelman coaches Ramona’s junior varsity team, which lost to Santa Fe Christian and Poway in pool play before closing out the round-robin portion with a win over University City. The two strongest third-place pool teams earned positions in the championship bracket, and Ramona was deemed to be the highest-seeded third-place squad.

Ramona’s only bracket play competition was a rematch against Poway, and the Titans eliminated the Bulldogs with a 25-22 victory.

“They turned the corner and they started playing at a whole other level,” Ramona varsity head coach Connie Halfaker said of the junior varsity’s improved play during the second match against Poway.

On Oct. 20 Ramona’s junior varsity team won a league match against San Marcos after losing to the Knights in the first round of league play.

“They’re looking forward to the rest of the season,” Halfaker said.

Torrey Pines reached the championship bracket finals with a semifinal win over Cathedral Catholic while La Costa Canyon defeated Rancho Buena Vista in other semifinal match. Steele Canyon defeated El Camino in the consolation bracket finals.

Maddy Dutia of Torrey Pines was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The all-tournament team also included Grace Heller of Torrey Pines, Brooke Shuprt-Knoope and Zoe Sanchez of La Costa Canyon, Karina DePiano of Cathedral Catholic and Kristi Nvcci of Rancho Buena Vista.