ALL-COUNTY GIRLS BEACH VOLLEYBALL 2024
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Emma Champagne and Sara Moynihan, JSerra
They led JSerra to a league championship, the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 girls beach volleyball team championships and went deeper in the CIF-SS pairs playoffs than any other Orange County team.
The duo of sophomores Emma Champagne and Sara Moynihan stood out throughout the beach volleyball season.
This was the second season that the CIF Southern Section had girls beach volleyball championships. In the Division 1 team playoffs, JSerra beat Newport Harbor in the quarterfinals before losing to Redondo in the semifinals. Huntington Beach, led by the senior tandem of Haylee LaFontaine and Dani Sparks, lost to eventual champion Mira Costa in the other semifinal.
In the CIF-SS pairs championships, Champagne-Moynihan beat LaFontaine-Sparks in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to the Palos Verdes duo of sisters Mallory and Molly LaBreche, who went on to finish first.
JSerra went 8-0 in the Trinity League, finished 14-2 overall, with the losses to Mira Costa during the regular season and to Redondo in the playoffs.
Champagne and Moynihan have been playing club indoor volleyball together for a few years, and they are on the JSerra indoor team, too.
“We complement each other’s game,” said Moynihan, who is 5-foot-9 and hits left-handed. “I’m a setter indoors and (Emma’s) a middle blocker. In beach volleyball, you have to be able to do everything so because of beach I’m a better defender now.”
Champagne, who is 6-1, also said that playing beach volleyball has made her a better all-around player for indoor volleyball.
“In indoor volleyball you’re limited to one position,” Champagne said. “In beach, you’re going to try to do a bunch of stuff. I never thought I’d be setting, for one thing.”
JSerra beach volleyball coach Heidi Colapinto said Moynihan and Champagne both possess a strong will to win.
“Sara’s the most consistent player you’ll see and she is a fierce competitor,” Colapinto said. “She competes at a high level every day.
“Emma his a very heavy ball. Her strength is her power. She is a great blocker, and she also has that very strong drive to be excellent.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Kelle Bond, Capistrano Valley Christian
Kelle Bond launched the Capistrano Valley Christian girls beach volleyball program a few years ago.
When girls beach volleyball became a CIF Southern Section championship sport, she had the Eagles ready to go.
They have played in the CIF-SS Division 2 finals both years. Capistrano Valley Christian lost to Crean Lutheran in the 2023 Division finals. This year the Eagles beat Crean Lutheran in the Division 2 semifinals before losing a close match, 3-2, to Oaks Christian in the Division 2 final.
Bond has coached CVC girls indoor volleyball team for 12 seasons. The Eagles won the CIF-SS Division 4 championship this past fall.
ALL-COUNTY FIRST TEAM
Emma Champagne, JSerra, So.
Gigi Green, Aliso Niguel, Jr.
Kenna Henjum, Capistrano Valley Christian, Sr.
Kaia Herweg, Los Alamitos, Sr.
Kaitlyn Herweg, Los Alamitos, Fr.
Haylee La Fontaine, Huntington Beach, Sr.
Shauna McDowell, Capistrano Valley Christian, Jr.
Sara Moynihan, JSerra, So.
Macey Smith, Aliso Niguel, Jr.
Dani Sparks, Huntington Beach, Sr.
Summer Witherby, Edison, Sr.
Samantha Wood, Edison, Sr.
ALL-COUNTY SECOND TEAM
Jade Curtis, Santa Margarita, Jr.
Grace Fogel, JSerra, Jr.
Lily Guinane, Tesoro, Jr.
Stevie Henderson, Newport Harbor, Jr.
Kate Jackson, Santa Margarita, Fr.
Vladimira Kotzakov, Newport Harbor, Fr.
Bella Lee, Capistrano Valley Christian, Jr.
Brooke Ogden, Tesoro, Fr.
Elizabeth Park, Crean Lutheran, So.
Cali Piazza, Crean Lutheran, Sr.
Nicole Thorp, JSerra, Jr.
Addi Williams, Capistrano Valley Christian, Sr.
