CdM in prime position

Corona del Mar High is the No. 3 seed and gets a first-round bye in the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA girls’ volleyball playoffs, it learned Sunday when pairings were announced.

The Sea Kings (18-7) will play host to either Redlands or Crescenta Valley, which meet in tonight’s first round, in a second-round match Thursday at 7 p.m.

Sage Hill (14-11), the Academy League runner-up, also has a first-round bye in Division IV-AA, while Newport Harbor (22-7) and Estancia (18-6) play host to first-round matches tonight in Division I-AA and I-A, respectively.

Newport Harbor, which defeated Corona del Mar, 25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, Friday in the annual Battle of the Bay, will meet Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, the Mission League’s third-place entry, at 7.

Coach Dan Glenn’s Sailors, ranked No. 8 in the final regular-season Division I-AA poll, are led by senior Mary Buckingham.

Estancia, the Orange Coast League runner-up, entertains Huntington Beach, which finished third in the Sea View League, at 7.

Coach Jim Huffman’s Eagles have won first-round matches the last two seasons. Should they do so again, they would likely face No. 2-seeded Santa Barbara in Thursday’s second round.

The Eagles are led by senior outside hitter Annie Tomasek, an All-Newport-Mesa honoree last season, as well as junior setter Shona Lamb and junior outside hitter Amy Hartwell.

CdM, paced by junior setter Madie Smith and junior outside hitter Sydney Brombal, won the Pacific Coast League crown.

The remaining seeds in Division II-AA are No. 1 Redlands, No. 2 South Torrance and No. 4 Bishop Montgomery.

Sage Hill, keyed by senior middle blocker Tierney Danner, will await the winner of tonight’s first-round clash between Jurupa Valley, the Sunkist League champion, and Thatcher, an at-large entry from the Condor League.

Sage Hill was ranked No. 7 in the final Division IV-AA poll.

Should Coach Dan Thomassen’s Lightning get past the second round, their likely quarterfinal foe would be top-seeded Calvary Murrieta.

The quarterfinals in all divisions involving Newport-Mesa teams are Saturday. The semifinals are Nov. 18 and the title matches will be held Nov. 21 or Nov. 22 at Cypress College.

— Barry Faulkner