HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' VOLLEYBALL: 3 AREA TEAMS GET TOP SEED.

Byline: SEAN CEGLINSKY Staff Writer

The Southern Section announced the pairings for the boys' volleyball playoffs Monday and three area programs received No. 1 seeds, headlined by Valencia, which has been the top-ranked team in Div. II for a majority of the season and is seeking its fourth consecutive appearance in the championship match after winning in 2003 and 2004.

The Vikings (30-2) opened the season with 29 consecutive victories en route to clinching their sixth consecutive Foothill League title.

However, they have lost two of their past three matches, albeit to a pair of highly touted teams -- St. John Bosco of Bellflower, a force in Div. I and San Diego power La Costa Canyon of Carlsbad.

< ``We're going to use those losses as motivation and come out and play Viking volleyball,'' Valencia senior Teddy Goetz said. ``We`ve worked hard to get to this point. We're focused and ready. ... It's cool being the top seed, but the truth is, it doesn't really matter. It doesn't mean anything if we don't win it all. Four games. Four wins and we're champs. That's what it comes down to.''

Oaks Christian of Westlake Village was awarded the top seed in Div. IV despite losing Oak Park, the No. 2 seed, twice in the past two weeks. Oakwood of North Hollywood received the top spot in Div. V, ahead of Viewpoint of Calabasas, which was the top-ranked team in the section for the better part of the past two months.

Four teams from the Marmonte League qualified in Div. I, highlighted by champion Westlake and Thousand Oaks, Royal and cross-town counterpart Simi Valley. Mission League rivals Harvard-Westlake of Studio City, Loyola of Los Angeles and Crespi of Encino are also in the bracket.

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VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS