by Scott Hopkins / Times of San Diego / May 19, 2026
A first-time occurrence of any kind is big news at a 101-year-old school and Point Loma High’s boys volleyball team accomplished the feat May 16.
Playing in the San Diego CIF Div. V finals, the Pointers defeated Hoover High 3-0 to win the school’s first volleyball title.
The Pointers entered the playoffs as a No. 4 seed with a first-round bye. Next was a match against No. 5 seed Southwest of El Centro. The Pointers defeated them 3-0 before winning 3-1 in a huge match at No. 1 seed Del Lago Academy, sending them on to the finals against the No. 2-seeded Cardinals.
Both the Pointers and Cardinals had to travel to Oceanside’s MiraCosta Community College, site of the finals. But the Pointers arrived ready for action, led by head coach Ethan Phung and assistant Justin Phung.
The set scores in the final match were 25-19, 25-18 and 25-19, but there were tense moments along the way. The first set was tied at 13 before a Pointer 10-2 run ended the threat.
In the second set, tied at 5, it was a 6-1 run by the Dogs that separated the teams. In the final set it was an 8-1 run that helped defeat the Cardinals and touch off a Pointer celebration.
Grayson Sanicki, a senior, served as the setter for the Pointers’ two top hitters. Waylon Lundeen, a 6-foot-4-inch junior, and Trevor Rutt, a 6-foot-5-inch senior, finished the match with 11 and 10 kills respectively.
With the title win, the Pointers have a six-match winning streak and a 20-12 overall record after finishing 8-2 (second place) in the City Central League behind 10-0 Christian.
The Pointers now move on to the state CIF volleyball playoffs where they are a No. 2 seed in Div. IV. They are scheduled to host No. 7 seed Maywood CES (Center for Enriched Studies). That match takes place on May 19. SEE NEXT LINE
Editordude: The Pointers won against Maywood CES: here’s the scoring: #2 Point Loma d. #7 Maywood CES, 25-11, 25-16, 25-20
