Analysis of new league alignments

I’ve been working on this analysis for a while, as someone requested I do a few months ago. I was hoping to complete it before the start of the new high school year. The realignment is not just relevant to boys volleyball, but to all sports in the Section. Here is a link to the leagues page on the SJS website and a link to the actual spreadsheet showing the new league alignments: www.cifsjs.org/leagues and RealignmentSpreadsheet.  I’ve also posted pictures of the spreadsheet below for your convenience.

Below are the new configurations of 25 remaining leagues in the Sac-Joaquin Section. The leagues are grouped by division (7 total). The overall division groupings don’t necessarily reflect the divisions for boys volleyball playoffs since there aren’t enough boys volleyball teams yet to warrant 7 playoff divisions. The (S) and (N) next to each league’s name indicates whether they are considered a southern or northern league within the Section. There are only 25 leagues left because the Capital Athletic League no longer exists. A large chunk of the former CAL teams went to one particular league, turning it into a bit of a super-league. I am also including three leagues that hadn’t previously (at least in the last few years) competed in boys volleyball. There were teams from a couple of those leagues that had boys volleyball teams, but they joined in with other leagues to compete for playoff spots. It’s unclear if any of that will continue going forward. I know at least one of those three leagues has already announced they will sanction boys volleyball. We’ll have to see about the others. One league was also left with a small number of teams that previously fielded boys volleyball teams, so it isn’t certain they will compete separately this year and going forward. We’ll just have to see how things shake out in early 2025 before the season starts. My analysis of top teams from each league is limited to the very foreseeable future; it’s hard to predict how all these teams will perform much beyond about 2026, not to mention 2025. Another thing to keep in mind is that I have heard the Section is going to change the system for selecting playoff teams. I have been lead to believe it will be a combination of a set minimum number of teams from each league together with some number of selections based on rankings. Stay tuned for more details as the boy’s season draws nearer.

The [ ] after a school’s name indicates what league that team competed in 2024 if not the one they are in this year. Info in ( ) identifies information about schools that compete in multiple leagues (i.e., football and/or basketball in one league, but all other sports in a different league), or some other unique feature. I’ve also added notes about which schools have departed a particular league, as well as which schools haven’t previously fielded boys volleyball teams. Just because they are listed here doesn’t mean those teams will be adding boys volleyball this year or in the future, although the hope is that all schools will eventually have a boys volleyball team. There is information next to some of the league names to indicate some change in the league’s status. There is some other specific information about schools from various leagues that I have noted with various symbols (*, +, **). It’s a lot so I hope you are all able to decipher the information.



Delta League (N)
Cosumnes Oaks
Elk Grove
Franklin of Elk Grove
Laguna Creek [Metropolitan Conference]
Monterey Trail [Metropolitan Conference]
Pleasant Grove
Sheldon

Departures: Davis Sr. and Jesuit.
Analysis: Finally, all the large Elk Grove schools together in one conference. Things got a bit easier for this group with the departure of Jesuit. However, PG is still the defending Section D1 champion and should remain the favorite this year. Newcomers MT and LC, as well as holdover EG, will challenge them. I like LC much more in 2026, but, depending on the Section’s playoff qualification system, they should be a playoff team in 2025. In past years, the Delta League has gotten 4 playoff spots, but I doubt that will continue.

Sierra Foothill League (N)
Davis Senior [Delta League]
Del Oro
Folsom
Granite Bay
Jesuit [Delta League]
Oak Ridge
Rocklin
St. Francis (girls only; no boys sports)
Whitney

Departures: None.
Analysis: What a brutal lineup of teams now with all the prior teams remaining, plus the addition of Jesuit and Davis. I see Folsom and Oak Ridge as the top dogs in 2025. Jesuit will drop off a little (I know, I’ve said that before), but not by much. They could still win this league. Granite Bay will still be very good and Whitney is coming back to the level they are used to. Teams like Del Oro and Rocklin are very, very good, but may struggle against this group of teams.

Tri-City Athletic League (S)
Edison (football only; not boys volleyball in this league)
Kimball [Valley Oak League]
Lincoln of Stockton
Lodi
Modesto Christian (basketball only; not boys volleyball in this league)
St. Mary's
Tracy
West (no football)

Departures: Tokay.
Analysis: Kimball brings a little bit of a challenge to this league, but St. Mary’s remains the cream of the crop. Lincoln was a young team last year and could start coming on. West lost some talent, but could still challenge. Edison competes in the San Joaquin Athletic Association for boys volleyball.



Capital Valley Conference (N)
Bella Vista
Christian Brothers [Capital Athletic League]
Inderkum
Ponderosa [Foothill Valley League]
Rio Americano [Capital Athletic League]
Vista Del Lago [Capital Athletic League]
Woodcreek

Departures: Antelope, Roseville, River Valley, and Yuba City.
Analysis: This league became much better from top to bottom with the realignment, adding two defending Section champions from the now-defunct Capital Athletic League. The addition of a traditional power like Ponderosa also makes this a much tougher league. It’s difficult to say who will come out on top in 2025. Woodcreek still has plenty of talent, as does Christian Brothers. Rio Americano will not be the dominant team they were in 2024, but still good. The team I am actually looking at to top this league in 2025 is Vista Del Lago, but it could be any one of a few teams. This may be another league from which a really good team fails to make the playoffs.

Metropolitan Conference (N)
Antelope [Capital Valley Conference]
Capital Christian (football/basketball only; not boys volleyball in this league) [Capital Athletic League]
Cordova [Greater Sacramento League]
Grant
Kennedy
McClatchy
West Park [Foothill Valley League]

Departures: Burbank, Laguna Creek, Monterey Trail, River City, and Vanden.
Analysis: This league will look very different this year, with all 3 of the 2024 playoff teams departing for other leagues, as well as Laguna Creek, which was good enough to be in the playoffs. Grant was on the verge of a playoff berth last year, and they return a lot of their talented players. They will greatly benefit from the departures of those teams that were ahead of them. Antelope and West Park both lost at least one very talented player to graduation, but still have strong squads. I see it coming down to those three teams. McClatchy retains most of their starters and has a decent chance of breaking into that top three.

Central California Athletic League (S)
Downey
Enochs
Gregori
Modesto
Pitman
Turlock

Departures: None.
Analysis: The last new league to add boys volleyball is unchanged from last year. Enochs has dominated in the first two years of boys volleyball competition in this league, but I don’t expect that to continue in 2025 with the number of very talented players that have graduated the last two years. Enochs might still win the league, but Pitman and Downey, at minimum, will provide much tougher competition this year. I like Pitman’s chances very much. My predicted order of finish is Pitman, Downey, then Enochs. Gregori is a sleeper.


Central California Conference (S)
Atwater
Buhach Colony
El Capitan
Golden Valley
Los Banos [Western Athletic Conference]
Merced

Departures: Central Valley and Patterson.
Analysis: Another league that has concentrated its membership down to a much smaller geographic area. Patterson, despite a low finish in 2024, has traditionally been a top team in this league, so their departure opens things up a bit. The Merced/Atwater area is becoming a much stronger source of good boys volleyball players. Golden Valley and Buhach Colony lost some good players to graduation, which I think will make them a bit weaker overall in 2025. Merced will also be good again. But I see El Capitan as the best team in this league in 2025.

Foothill Valley League (N)
Del Campo [Capital Athletic League]
Nevada Union
Placer
River Valley [Capital Valley Conference]
Roseville [Capital Valley Conference]
Twelve Bridges [Pioneer Valley League]
Yuba City [Capital Valley Conference]

Departures: Lincoln (Lincoln), Oakmont, Ponderosa, and West Park.
Analysis: The complexion of this league has changed tremendously. The new makeup of this league seems to leave Nevada Union as the clearly dominant team. River Valley has been improving steadily over the last couple of years, but they graduated some really good players. They should still be able to challenge Nevada Union. It will be interesting to see how Twelve Bridges does in this league. They were dominant in the PVL in 2024, but I think this league is a step up for them. They still have a talented roster, so I can see them as a playoff team again this coming year. A good question for this league will be whether Roseville can return to its former boys volleyball glory, or whether they continue to be middle-of-the-pack.

Monticello Empire League (N) – No previous boys volleyball
Pioneer [Golden Empire League]
River City [Metropolitan Conference]
Rodriguez
Sacramento [Capital Athletic League]
Vacaville
Vanden
Wood

Departures: Armijo and Fairfield.
No previous boys volleyball: Rodriguez, Vacaville, and Wood.
Analysis: This will be the first year of boys volleyball in the MEL, who had already announced that 2025 would be their first time sanctioning the sport. The league looks quite a bit different than it has in the past. Whereas Vanden had been the only MEL school with a boys volleyball team in prior years, the new configuration includes a handful of schools that previously had boys volleyball teams. That includes River City who was neck-and-neck with Vanden in last year’s Metropolitan Conference. Both those teams lose some talented players to graduation, but should have retained enough to remain favorites for the league championship. With Club Solano VBC, I think some of those other schools in the Fairfield/Vacaville area, that didn’t previously have boys volleyball teams, will still have some experienced players to choose from. Will that be enough for any one of them to challenge those two top team, I don’t know. There is still the question of whether all those teams that have not previously fielded boys volleyball teams will begin to this year. We shall see.

San Joaquin Athletic Assoc. (S) – Drops down from Division 2
Bear Creek
Chavez
Edison (no football)
Franklin of Stockton
McNair
Stagg
Tokay [Tri-City Athletic League]
West (football only; not boys volleyball in this league)
Weston Ranch

Departures: Linden
Analysis: This league remains virtually unchanged. Linden departs and they added Tokay. Neither of the teams from those schools have made much news in boys volleyball to date, but hopefully that changes soon. Weston Ranch has been the clearly superior team in this league and should remain strong, but they lose some really key players to graduation. McNair should take a step closer to Weston Ranch and Chavez has an up-and-coming young team. The league champion this year will likely come from among those teams, but maybe another team sneaks into the picture. Please note that this league has dropped down to Division 3 from Division 2. That may play into which division the playoff teams from this league end up in 2025.

Valley Oak League (S)
Central Catholic
East Union
Manteca
Mountain House [Western Athletic Conference]
Oakdale
Patterson [Central California Conference]
Sierra

Departures: Kimball and River Islands.
Analysis: Kimball is a key departure, but there are some interesting additions to this league. Mountain House and Patterson have both been strong performers in recent years, with Mountain House in particular poised for continued success. Manteca, Sierra, and East Union are the incumbents who have dominated the league in recent years and all of them should return talented squads. I see Mountain House coming in and taking over as top dog this year, but these other good teams might have something to say about that.

Golden Empire League (N)
Capital Christian (no football or basketball) [Capital Athletic League]
Casa Roble
Dixon
El Camino [Capital Athletic League]
Natomas [Greater Sacramento League]
Rio Linda
Sutter [Pioneer Valley League]
Woodland

Departures: Mesa Verde, Mira Loma, and Pioneer.
No previous boys volleyball: Sutter.
Analysis: Several additions and several departures make this league significantly different than it has been. A couple of the historic CAL teams find themselves in this league. El Camino has a history of success, but has been on a downturn the last couple years. They had some young talent that could bring them back to the top levels with a year of experience. This league also shouldn’t be as difficult as the old CAL was. Capital Christian, from my understanding, couldn’t find a coach in 2024, which is why they didn’t field a team. I hope they return this year. The other newcomer of note is Natomas, who are on an upswing. I see them likely coming in and winning this league in 2025, but Rio Linda is still strong and Casa Roble is riding a wave of young talent also. I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of those teams hold off Natomas. I hope that Sutter adds boy’s volleyball, too.

Greater Sacramento League (N)
Armijo [Monticello Empire League]
Burbank [Metropolitan Conference]
Fairfield [Monticello Empire League]
Florin
Foothill
Johnson
Valley
West Campus

Departures: Cordova and Natomas.
No previous boys volleyball: Armijo and Fairfield.
Analysis: This is where those last couple of historic MEL schools moved; ones who haven’t had boys volleyball teams in the past. I would have felt more confident about them adding boys volleyball if they stayed in the MEL. Let’s hope they still decide to add it this year. Burbank has generally struggled in the Metropolitan Conference, so this should be a better home for them. Florin and Johnson are the teams that have performed better in this league recently, and I don’t see any reason why that will change in 2025. West Campus has a storied history of good play in this league, but had a down year in 2024. I trust that program to get going back toward the top again, but might be too early for that in 2025. I think Johnson is the team to beat in this league now that Natomas is gone.

Western Athletic Conference (S)
Beyer
Ceres
Central Valley [Central California Conference]
Grace Davis
Johansen
Lathrop
Livingston [Trans Valley League]
Pacheco

Departures: Los Banos and Mountain House.
Analysis: This league lost Mountain House, but gained Livingston. That seems like about an even swap. Livingston returns pretty much everyone from a really good team in 2024. However, I don’t believe they can overtake Lathrop, who is poised again to win this league. Beyer is an up-and-comer and I can see Pacheco as a darkhorse in this league. Central Valley will be a wildcard. They were a bit overmatched in the CCC the last couple years, but maybe this league will be a little easier for them. Calling a league with Lathrop and Livingston “easy” seems like a stretch to me, though. I think Beyer, Pacheco, and maybe Central Valley fight it out for third behind those two teams in 2025.


Pioneer Valley League (N)
Bear River
Center
Colfax
Lincoln of Lincoln [Foothill Valley League]
Marysville
Mira Loma [Golden Empire League]
Oakmont [Foothill Valley League]
Wheatland

Departures: Lindhurst, Sutter, and Twelve Bridges.
No previous boys volleyball: Colfax.
Analysis: Sutter departs, but didn’t field a boys volleyball team previously. Twelve Bridges’ departure leaves a big hole. I think, for 2025, Bear River will fill that hole, assuming they can develop a competent setter. Wheatland should have a pretty solid team, as well, but did lose some talent to graduation. Oakmont also lost a lot of talent to graduation, as well as one underclassman who I understand won’t be coming back. More on that as the actual season approaches. Mira Loma already has a solid program, but not sure they can compete with a team like Bear River. Lincoln is an interesting addition. They are returning a pretty solid core from last year and could be the best bet to challenge Bear River. I would pick Bear River, with Lincoln and Wheatland, in that order, pushing them.

Sierra Valley Conference (N)
Argonaut [Mother Lode League]
Amador [Mother Lode League]
Bradshaw Christian
El Dorado
Galt
Liberty Ranch
Rosemont
Union Mine

Departures: None.
No previous boys volleyball: Argonaut, Amador, Galt, and Liberty Ranch.
Analysis: One of the two schools joining from the MLL, Argonaut, definitely appears to be adding boys volleyball. There is an article on the school’s website indicating that is what they are doing. So that is nice. I found another website that indicted Argonaut and Amador plan to combine into one school in 2025/2026 (as Argonaut HS), so I guess that means Amador won't be adding a team.   I have also been checking with the ADs at the two Galt schools (Galt and Liberty Ranch) for the last several years to ask when they plan to add boys volleyball. Every year the answer is “soon”, but so far no boys volleyball. I’ll check in with them again this fall to ask again. I hope they do soon. This has been a four team league for the last few years. Rosemont caught lightning in a bottle in their first year with a team a couple years ago, but have struggled since. Union Mine seems to be on the rise again. The real strength of this league is with Bradshaw Christian, and especially El Dorado. El Dorado is the clear favorite again, but Bradshaw Christian’s program is improving every year. If all the schools add boys volleyball, this could be a really fun league for years to come.

Trans Valley League (S)
Escalon
Hilmar
Hughson
Modesto Christian (football only; not boys volleyball in this league)
Orestimba [Southern Athletic League]
Ripon
Ripon Christian [Southern Athletic League]
Sonora [Mother Lode League]

Departures: Livingston and Riverbank.
No previous boys volleyball: Hughson and Sonora.
Analysis: It’s a shame that Livingston has departed. This looks like it might be a strong league with the additions of Ripon Christian and Orestimba. The latter has made great strides in the three (?) years now that they had a boys volleyball team. And we are well aware of what Ripon Christian is. It may be all the other teams fighting for second place for years to come behind them. But we’ll see. Escalon made a nice debut to boys volleyball and look like they may be a strong program already. And Ripon will be no pushover to their crosstown rival. It would be nice to see Hughson and Sonora add teams. In the meantime, I choose Ripon Christian to win this league in 2025.


Central California Athletic Alliance (S) – Moves up from Division 7
Ben Holt Academy [Mountain Valley League]
Langston Hughes Academy [Mountain Valley League]
Millennium
River Islands [Valley Oak League]
Turlock Christian
Venture Academy

Departures: Big Valley Christian, Elliott Christian, and Stone Ridge Christian.
No previous boys volleyball: Turlock Christian.
Analysis: This was poised to a be a small school super-league with Ben Holt Academy moving over from the MVL to join Big Valley Christian and Stone Ridge Christian; however, both those schools left for other leagues. Big Valley moves over to the MLL (see below), which has not competed in boys volleyball previously. If the MLL doesn’t add boys volleyball, does that mean Big Valley will stay with the CCAA? That will be an interesting thought until January/February rolls around to how the boys volleyball leagues come together. As it stands, Ben Holt is going to dominate this league; definitely in 2025, and probably going forward. Other than them, I don’t have a real good feel for which of the other schools might even come close to challenging them. I don’t know much about River Islands, but I get a feeling they may be serious about boys volleyball. Only time will tell who, if anybody, will step to the forefront in this league alongside Ben Holt.

Mother Lode League (S) – Drops down from Division 5; No previous boys volleyball
Big Valley Christian [Central California Athletic Alliance]
Bret Harte
Calaveras
Linden [San Joaquin Athletic Association]
Millennium (football only; not boys volleyball)
River Islands (football only; not boys volleyball)
Riverbank [Trans Valley League]
Summerville

Departures: Amador, Argonaut, and Sonora.
No previous boys volleyball: Bret Harte, Calaveras, and Summerville.
Analysis: No boys volleyball in this league at all prior to this year. Half of the previous league has departed, and we already know Argonaut intends to add boys volleyball, but it won’t be in this league. I checked in with the commissioner of this league and he said they will not sanction boys volleyball unless at least four schools have teams. Will Bret Harte, Calaveras, and Summerville add boys volleyball? He does not expect any of those schools to add the sport, so it doesn’t seem likely there will be boys volleyball competition in the MLL this year. So the question is where the three newcomers that had boys volleyball teams previously (Big Valley, Linden, and Riverbank) will be competing in 2025. It might be nice to see those three teams competing in the CCAA come February. That would give Ben Holt some competition. If we’re only talking about the three schools from this league that had boys teams coming into this year, Big Valley is clearly the best.

Sierra Delta League (N) – No previous boys volleyball
Golden Sierra [Golden Empire League]*
Highlands
Lindhurst [Pioneer Valley League]
Mesa Verde [Golden Empire League]
Rio Vista
San Juan [Pioneer Valley League]*
Vacaville Christian [Golden Empire League]*
Woodland Christian [Central Valley California League]

*: These teams were already part of the Sierra Delta League, but played in other leagues last year because the SDL did not compete as a league in boys volleyball.
Departures: Esparto.
No previous boys volleyball: Highlands and Rio Vista.
Analysis: This is similar, although not quite the same, as the MLL described above. The SDL has flirted with sanctioning boys volleyball, but really in combination with at least one other league. Could this be the first year the SDL teams compete independently amongst themselves? It sure seems like that will be the case now with six teams that already have boys volleyball teams, even before finding out if Highlands and Rio Vista add the sport. One thing is certain to me: Vacaville Christian is the favorite in this league, as the return everybody from a team that made the Division 4 semi-finals in 2024. Mesa Verde and Golden Sierra both return some nice players, so I think they will be fighting it out for second place behind Vacaville Christian in 2025. We’ll see if any of the other schools can surprise them.

Southern Athletic League (S)
Delhi
Denair
Gustine
Le Grand
Mariposa
Modesto Christian (not football or basketball in this league) [Trans Valley League]
Stone Ridge Christian [Central California Athletic Alliance]
Waterford [Southern Athletic League]

Departures: Orestimba and Ripon Christian.
No previous boys volleyball: Le Grand, Mariposa, and Modesto Christian.
Analysis: It will be interesting to see when, if at all, Modesto Christian adds boys volleyball. Those private schools, like St. Mary’s, have a tendency to field very good teams. I really hope so because among the other schools, only Waterford has shown signs of being able to keep Stone Ridge Christian from winning this league in 2025. Stone Ridge will have one of the very best Division 4 teams in the spring. Even if Modesto Christian adds boys volleyball, it will probably take a year or two for them to challenge for the top spot. Let’s hope all the other schools start putting it together so it’s not a Ripon Christian-like runaway every year for Stone Ridge. I like some of the young players at Waterford, so they should be a fun team to watch regardless.


Central Valley California League (N)
Encina Preparatory
Forest Lake Christian
Foresthill
Futures
John Adams Academy of Roseville [Northern Pacific Athletic Conference]
Sacramento Waldorf
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning+
Victory Christian

+: SAEL was unaffiliated and not a part of the CVCL previously, but competed in the CVCL last year for boys volleyball.
Departures: Delta and Woodland Christian.
No previous boys volleyball: Victory Christian.
Analysis: I’ll first mention that, even though they had boys volleyball teams historically, Foresthill didn’t field a team in 2024. I hope they return in 2025. Dropping the more experienced of the John Adams campuses into this league is going to make this a very interesting league to watch going forward. Encina already has a solid program, as does defending Division 4 champion Futures, although Futures will not be nearly as good in 2025 as they were in 2024. They lost entirely too much talent to graduation to keep that up, but should still be good. Then they have SAEL who has shown signs already of being able to compete at the highest levels. Throw in a quality institution like Sacramento Waldorf, who is going into their second year with boys volleyball. I see them challenging soon, although not likely in 2025. This seems like John Adams’ league to win in 2025, but Encina and SAEL will make it difficult for them. I eventually see this league not having a lot of pushovers from year to year.

Mountain Valley League (S)
Humphreys Able Charter
Delta Charter
Don Pedro
Elliot Christian [Central California Athletic Alliance]
Lodi Academy
Stockton Christian
Tioga
Vanguard College Prep+

+: Vanguard was unaffiliated; not previously an official member of the MVL. But they did compete in the MVL last year in boys volleyball.
Departures: Ben Holt Academcy and Langston Hughes.
No previous boys volleyball: Don Pedro, Elliot Christian, Stockton Christian, and Tioga.
Analysis:  The departures of Ben Holt and Langston Hughes leaves this league without much power.  And really it leaves them barely on the cusp of having boys volleyball as a league.  Maybe the four schools that haven't had teams previously decide to add it this year.  That would be great, but I'm not counting on that.  And I'm not sure we can count on Delta Charter fielding a team.  They didn't field one in 2024.  Perhaps this is where the schools from the MLL go to make a combination league.  Lodi Academy seems like the best of the bunch of those that had teams last year, but I don't think they are going to be significantly better than the rest, if at all.

Northern Pacific Athletic Conference (N)
Creative Connections Arts Academy [unaffiliated]
Delta [Central Valley California League]
Elite [unaffiliated]
Esparto [Sierra Delta League]
Fortune Early College
Leroy Greene Academy
Trinity Prep
Westlake Charter+

+: Westlake Charter was unaffiliated and not part of NPAC previously, but competed in the NPAC last year in boys volleyball.
Departures: John Adams of Roseville and New Life Christian.
No previous boys volleyball: Elite, Esparto, and Trinity Prep.
Analysis: This league adds two schools that were previously unaffiliated with another league. Creative Connections has had a boys volleyball team the last year or two, so they should hit the ground running in their new league. We’ll see whether Elite, as well as Esparto and Trinity Prep, decide to add boy’s volleyball. Delta moves from the CVCL, but has not consistently been able to field a boys volleyball team. If some of those schools that didn’t previously have boys volleyball don’t add it, this could be a pretty small league. The NPAC has recently had four teams and it could stay that way, at least for this year. I hope most of these schools get the memo, though, and add the sport. I hate to say it, but there isn’t much talent in this league, at least currently, beyond Westlake Charter and Leroy Greene. Westlake looked like a program on the rise in 2024 and I don’t think any of these other schools can stop them from winning this league in 2025. Leroy Greene should be a solid second place and maybe they surprise even me by overtaking Westlake.

Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League (N)
Buckingham Charter
Cristo Rey
Faith Christian
John Adams Academy of El Dorado Hills [unaffiliated]
Sacramento Adventist
Sacramento Country Day
Valley Christian
Western Sierra Collegiate Academy

Departures: Wilton Christian (going unaffiliated).
No previous boys volleyball: Buckingham Charter and Valley Christian.
Analysis: WSCA is going to have some company at the top of this league with the addition of the El Dorado Hills campus of John Adams joining this league. John Adams, like their Roseville sister campus, has already shown a propensity for developing strong boys volleyball teams. WSCA graduated nearly a full starting squad in 2024, so it’s going to be difficult for them to hold off John Adams. Cristo Rey and Sac Adventist have both had good teams in the past, but I haven’t seen any signs either will be particularly strong in 2025. I think this is John Adams league this year, short of there being a surprise or two. As always, I’ll pass along my hopes that schools like Buckingham and Valley Christian decide to add boys volleyball. Every school that adds makes the future of the sport in the Section that much brighter.


Adventure Christian
Chesterton Academy of Yuba City
Sierra Ridge
Al-Arqam
Cornerstone Christian
San Joaquin County Office of Education
Aspire-Stockton Libertas Academy
Tahoe Exp. Academy
Capital College and Career
Natomas Pacific Pathways
Trinity Christian**
Central Valley Christian
New Life Christian
Twilight Academy
Chesterton Academy of Sacramento
Pine Hills Adventist**
Wilton Christian

**: These two schools fielded boys volleyball teams in 2024 (and possibly before), but have not been affiliated with a league. They are still not attached to a particular league, but it’s possible one or more might be joined into an existing league in 2025 and beyond, until they officially become affiliated with a league. Maybe one or two other of these schools add the sport, too. I reiterate my comment from the analysis of the SMAL above.