The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Former Jackrabbits Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
The Long Beach Poly girls’ volleyball came within a few points of pulling off one of the biggest high school volleyball upsets of the year last night. The Jackrabbits had already upset San Luis Obispo in the first round of the CIF State Division 1 playoffs and were hoping to knock off top-seeded Harvard-Westlake on the road. Poly took a 2-1 lead in the match before ultimately falling in a five-set thriller, 25-13, 21-25, 22-25, 25-11, 15-11.
“Tonight we battled until the very last point,” said Poly coach Gerald Aquiningoc. “I’m incredibly proud of the effort our girls left on the court–heart, grit, and everything in between. I’m equally proud of our coaching staff–we prepared, we adjusted, and we left no X’s and O’s behind.”
Poly was dealt a tough blow while holding an already difficult hand when setter Hannah Ballungay left mid-first set with a concussion, forcing freshman Mina Orbiso to join Lauren Foster in the Jackrabbits’ 6-2 system. Foster had 23 assists and a pair of aces and Orbiso stepped in with 15 assists in an impressive performance.
The Jackrabbits ended up using all of their JV call-ups once again in a postseason match, with freshmen Ellie Iamaleava and Maddie Hong each chipping in three kills.
“Every available player stepped in tonight,” said Aquiningoc. “That speaks volumes about our depth, trust, and culture.”
Poly’s stars shined again as Kennah Iamaleava had 20 kills on .538 hitting with 11 digs and Cika Talaga had 15 kills as well as 12 digs. Keola Aquiningoc had 10 digs. Middles Alison Wetteland and Dayna Lagafuiaina combined for 10 kills.
This year represented another big step forward for the Jackrabbits under Aquiningoc as they wrapped up the season at 29-11. Poly moved up in CIF-SS playoff divisions, CIF State divisions, and had success in both brackets while also winning an undefeated league title in a strong Moore League. Poly will also return the vast majority of their offensive and defensive production next year.
“This season elevated our program,” said Aquiningoc. “Even though we didn’t finish with a championship, we raised the standard at Long Beach Poly–we moved up divisions, we made more history, and we continued to build something special. I’ll hold onto that with pride.”
Aquiningoc and his squad own one of the Moore League’s most impressive turnarounds. After going 11-18 the year before he got there (and finishing fourth place in league), Poly has gone 84-33 the last three years including three Moore League titles with a 35-1 league record, as well as the CIF-SS Division 3 title last season and the CIF-SS Division 3 beach championship last spring.
