HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT: LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT EXHAUSTION REIGNS AT ROYAL TOURNAMENT.

Byline: Erik Boal Special to the Daily News

If Mark Burnett is looking for his next big reality-television-show concept, he might want to talk to the organizers of Royal of Simi Valley's girls' volleyball tournament.

Here's the premise: Get 28 teams from Southern California, some among the area's top programs, and put them in nearly 12 hours of grueling competition until one team is left standing.

It's like ``Survivor,'' only with volleyballs, courts and nets instead of tribes, fire and immunity challenges. It's ``The Apprentice,'' only with pool play and single-elimination playoffs rather than group tasks and boardroom sessions.

The 24th edition of the Royal tournament, regarded by several coaches as the area's best, was held Saturday at Oxnard High and Pacifica of Oxnard. South Hills of Covina survived 11 hours, 45 minutes of competition to outlast Upland 13-25, 25-19, 15-13 in the Gold Division championship.

Not long before, Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge - the Daily News' top-ranked team - posted the best finish of any of the 19 local teams competing, defeating Simi Valley 25-15 in the third-place game. The victory capped almost 11 hours of competition for Flintridge Sacred Heart, which saw an eight-match winning streak snapped with a 26-24, 26-24 loss to South Hills of West Covina in the semifinals.

The Gold Division was played at Pacifica instead of Royal or Simi Valley High, an 11th-hour decision to move the event some 30 miles west because of poor air quality stemming from the Topanga Fire.

Heidi Buonauro is the latest Royal coach to take on the daunting task of staging one of the largest one-day volleyball tournaments - boys or girls - in Southern California. Before Buonauro, the event was run by veteran coach Bob Ferguson or his son, Travis.

As she stood in front of the gathering of players, coaches and fans from South Hills and Upland at nearly 8 p.m. Saturday, Buonauro - whose team lost to Upland 25-16, 25-16 in the quarterfinals - was upbeat while presenting the team trophies and all-tournament awards.

``We've been hosting this event since 1982, and every year it seems the level of competition gets better and better,'' Buonauro said. ``And after watching these teams battle the way they did in the final match, this year is no exception.''

Buonauro made sure to thank everyone from her father to the people working the snack bar for their assistance and support during Saturday's event, which wasn't overshadowed by the same drama of the 2002 tournament.

That year, Quartz Hill's C.J. Vocke, daughter of coach Larry Vocke, was treated by paramedics after collapsing in the girls' bathroom and experiencing difficulties breathing, succumbing to the fatigue of nearly half a day of volleyball.

When paramedics arrived, they determined Vocke's heart rate was abnormally high. She also was hyperventilating and suffering from numbness in her hands and face.

Earlier that day, a player from Dos Pueblos of Goleta was seen rushing out of the gym to vomit in the patio area after complaining to her coach of stomach problems.

Following those incidents, several coaches and parents approached Travis Ferguson about the possibility of holding the event over a two-day period, similar to the format adopted by several Orange County schools.

Ferguson experimented with the idea of a Friday-Saturday event, but couldn't devise a plan that would work within the academic and traveling schedules of all the teams involved. In the three years since Vocke's collapse, the tournament schedule has been modified in an effort to minimize the total amount of time from first serve to final point.

Even with all the positive aspects surrounding the Royal tournament - one of the most prestigious one-day events in Southern California - it was impossible not to notice the physical and mental toll the competition took on some of the players and teams.

Oak Park, which entered the tournament undefeated, lost in the quarterfinals to Simi Valley. La Reina of Thousand Oaks, ranked in the Daily News top 10, won the Silver Division despite four players playing while ill. And Flintridge Sacred Heart, which has beaten teams ranked much higher than South Hills or Upland, saw its goal of a tournament title go unfulfilled.

After receiving their team trophies and all-tournament awards, members of Flintridge Sacred Heart and Simi Valley wasted little time gathering their equipment before heading toward the parking lot.

``That was the longest day of my life,'' said Simi Valley's Megan Metcalf, who (with teammate Christine Vaughen) received all-tournament honors.

``I'm having trouble even focusing right now,'' said Flintridge Sacred Heart's Jackie Beeton, one of two all-tournament selections for the Tologs (along with setter Sam Orlandini). ``I'm definitely (feeling) a little stir crazy,''

Beeton told teammates on more than one occasion Saturday that she felt like her left arm was going to fall off or that her shoulder was going to pop out. The senior right-side hitter walked to the parking lot with an ice pack on her shoulder, looking like a pitcher who had just labored through a 150-pitch outing.

Her teammates concurred.

``My legs are burning,'' middle blocker Megan Connell said.

``My back is killing me,'' Orlandini added.

``I think part of my body is on that court,'' defensive specialist Sarah Polich said.

Her body, as well as more than 200 others who might have been auditioning for a part on the next big reality-TV show.

Erik Boal, [phone]

erik.boal(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Flintridge Sacred Heart setter Sam Orlandini was an All-Royal tournament selection after leading the Tologs to a third-place finish.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer