The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
Millikan’s trip to host its postseason opener at Long Beach City College on Tuesday was short but sweet. The Rams left no doubt in just over 30 minutes of volleyball against Chaminade, earning sweeps across the board in a decisive 5-0 win to open the first round of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs.
“We want to handle business,” said Millikan coach Antoinette de la Espriella. “Pedal to the metal—we can’t allow any team a chance to come back. We’ve had a lot of girls go to three sets throughout the season, so we’ve been telling them that in the playoffs we can’t leave any doors open so we don’t end up in that 50/50 position, and they did a great job of that today.”
Of all the sweeps, Millikan’s most dominant match of the afternoon came on Court 3, where Madison Jones and Johanna Swerdloff led wire-to-wire against Chaminade’s Devon Lopez and Lauren Flowers. The pair closed out a 21-11, 21-8 win and found ways to get creative while building their advantage.
“Once we started taking the lead, (Swerdloff) and I started talking about trying a couple of new things, like our back sets or just swinging more,” Jones said after the match. “It gave us the opportunity to try some new stuff we haven’t done before.”
The duo have played in multiple beach volleyball tournaments outside of school and have used that chemistry to their advantage. They’ve done a good job holding down their court for a Millikan team that’s seen some shifting around, including a couple of players out sick on Tuesday, and Swerdloff credited her entire team for working through the changes.
“I think all of us have taken a lot of time in practice and worked really hard which is also a big testament to our coach who has been rushing out of work to help us everyday,” said Swerdloff. “Me and Maddie have that extra connection from our tournaments, so it’s just nice to have everyone out here each day with the support.”
The Rams made most of their lineup changes on courts 4 and 5, where multiple players were switched around to make up for a couple of girls out sick. Hannah Martin and Olivia Vitz stepped in on Court 4 and cruised to a 21–11, 21–14 win.
Millikan also had dominant finishes in each set on Court 2 from Aubrey Greene and Bella Bonales, highlighted by a strong defensive performance. De la Espriella said she was encouraged by their effort to dig and convert balls on the defensive end, an area she says the pair have been working toward.
Court 1 pair Sarah Thaut and Bethany Arnold had one of the closest sets to open the match with a 22-20 win, before responding with a 21-11 win in the second to secure the sweep. On the other end of the courts, Estella Lopez and Samantha Guzman closed out a tight 25-23 second set on Court 5 to complete Millikan’s 5-0 sweep.
The Rams will now move on to face San Juan Hills back at LBCC on Thursday after earning the home match via pre-flip. Similarly, the Stallions are coming off a 5-0 win over Temecula Valley.
“It’s only going to get harder from here and we’re going to have to grind,” said de la Espriella. “There’s a difference between confidence and cockiness. We want to be confident that we’re prepared and that we can win, but we can’t get cocky and let our ego out expecting a win especially because the teams are just going to get better from here.”
Final Results:
Court 1: Sarah Thaut/Bethany Arnold (MIL) def. Ashley Purdy/Emery Daly (CHA) 22-20, 21-11
Court 2: Aubrey Greene/Bella Bonales (MIL) def. Sophia Hendleman/Brooklyn Whates (CHA) 21-13, 21-13
Court 3: Madison Jones/Johanna Swerdloff (MIL) def. Devon Lopez/Lauren Flowers (CHA) 21-11, 21-8
Court 4: Hannah Martin/Olivia Vitz (MIL) def. Anouk Schefz/Isabella Gomes (CHA) 21-11, 21-14
Court 5: Estella Lopez/Samantha Guzman (MIL) def. Leah Brody/Yuma Allen (CHA) 21-6, 25-23
