After three straight Open Division runner-up finishes to Cathedral Catholic, Torrey Pines girls’ volleyball finally ended the drought, sweeping the Dons 25‑22, 25‑20, 25‑21 at Montgomery High School on Nov. 9 to claim the San Diego Section championship.
The Falcons finished the season 38‑5, earning a MaxPreps ranking of No. 3 in California and No. 8 nationally.
Their run ended Nov. 15 in the second round of the state tournament, falling to Mater Dei in four sets.
“A lot of people are talking about this as a historical rebirth,” said head coach Brennan Dean. “But to me, we’re just back to where we wanted to be. If you look historically over the last 15 years…before 2020, we won nine of the last 10 CIF championships.”
The Falcons’ last championship season came in 2019, when they captured both the San Diego Section title and the CIF State Open Division championship.
“I look at the season overall — and the postseason specifically — as a great success,” Dean said. “We were right there competing in the match we lost at the end of the year. I would have loved to win, but at that level, it comes down to just a few points we weren’t able to execute. I’m incredibly proud of what the girls accomplished this year. It’s put us back where we want to be — winning CIF Open championships and competing for state titles with serious contention. It’s taken five years to get back here, and I really feel like the program is in a very strong position for the future.”
In county play, Torrey Pines dropped just two sets all season.
“We’ve won big matches even when one of our top players isn’t having their best game because others can step up and make huge impacts,” Dean said. “We have five kids who can score at a high level, and when they’re all on, we’re unstoppable. In the back half of the season, we really developed a grittiness on defense and a toughness that carried into the postseason.”
A major boost for the Falcons this postseason has been the return of 6-foot-4 senior outside hitter Finley Krystkowiak, a Penn State commit who missed last year’s playoffs because of an injury.
In the section championship, she led the team with 12 kills and 10 digs, helping Torrey Pines secure the sweep over Cathedral Catholic.
“Having a kid who’s six-foot-four, skilled, and also just a really nice, sweet person is pretty special,” Dean said. “I’ve had a lot of great athletes, but not many can do what she’s doing — score, defend, and pass. She’s a five-tool athlete and a major contributor every year on varsity. Last year was tough with her injured, so we were lucky to have her healthy this season.”
Jaycee Mack tallied 11 kills, while opposite Parker Herrin added 10. On defense, setter Emery Gonzales and libero Lila Green each recorded 11 digs, anchoring the Falcons’ backcourt.
“I love the high-level competition between Torrey Pines and Cathedral — it’s an absolute joy to play them,” Dean said. “They compete so hard and are always prepared. The matches are extremely intense, and that’s a real pleasure to experience as a coach. We’ve lost to them in the finals, and they’ve had exceptional teams and incredible players. I’ve been proud of those teams for pushing some of those finals to five sets and really challenging the Dons.”
Torrey Pines opened the state tournament with a 3‑0 win over San Juan Hills, taking the sets 25‑15, 25‑22, 25‑6, before being defeated by Mater Dei three days later.
“We made some adjustments to our defense after scouting that Mater Dei tended to attack the line when their outside hitters were hitting,” Dean said. “We funneled the ball the opposite direction and used a defense we don’t commonly rely on, practicing it all week to prepare. I was happy with the adjustments — we stuck with it. The difference in the match came down to a few points: we had some uncharacteristic serve-receive breakdowns, gave up a handful of aces, and made a few hitting errors. Those five or six points were the difference.”
Looking ahead to next season, Dean said he expects the Falcons to be back in contention for another championship.
“We can compete again next year and be one of the top teams in San Diego,” he said. “When I look at the roster, I think about how many starters we’re losing and who the potential replacements are. I’ll deeply miss the seniors leaving, but I love the kids coming up — they’ve worked hard all season and are ready to step in. People don’t always see the gym like I do day in and day out, and some of these kids are incredible athletes waiting their turn.”
