Palisadians Power Pacifica Christian Volleyball

In only three seasons, the Pacifica Christian girls’ varsity volleyball team has enjoyed more success than most programs accomplish in decades and a big reason for the Seawolves’ success is the contributions of Palisadians Kelly Ryan and Kiani Lane. The school is located in Santa Monica and the team has won 30 consecutive league matches, three straight league titles, a CIF Southern Section Division 5-A championship and back-to-back state tournament berths. Ryan, a senior outside hitter and defensive specialist, has been with the program from the start and earned First-Team All-Heritage League honors. The 17-year-old from the Palisades Highlands played one year of club volleyball in Santa Monica before arriving at the school and credits former coach Jason Lee and current coach Kasia Eatherton for developing her interest and skill in the sport. “Our athletic director Kevin Kelsey makes sure that we learn the character-building aspect of sports as well as the sport itself,” Ryan said. “There is a lot of unity on our team.” Perhaps Lane can bring back the coveted title in coming years. A graduate of Calvary Christian, the 14-year-old Marquez Knolls resident brought five years of club experience with Sports Shack to Pacifica Christian. The freshman opposite hitter and backup setter fit right in with this year’s squad. Not only did she play volleyball in the fall, she simultaneously ran cross-country, even running a 3.2-mile race in the morning and playing a CIF quarterfinal match that same afternoon. After winning the Division V-A title last year, the Seawolves moved up to Division V-AA this season and finished with a 20-9-2 mark, including eight straight victories at the end of the regular season. They went into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in Division 5-AA but lost to Saddleback Valley Christian in the semifinals. They again qualified for the state playoffs but fell to Mission Prep of San Louis Obispo. Although Pacifica Christian will be losing its “Founding Four” to college next year, with Lane back and more talented players such as Palisadians Brittany Louks and Julia Johnston waiting in the wings, the Seawolves’ program figures to be strong for many years to come.