The562’s coverage of high school volleyball in 2026 is brought to you by the MLP’s Bay Area Breakers.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly Athletics for the 2026-27 school year is sponsored by Former Jackrabbits Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
A sweltering Ron Palmer Pavilion played host to a first-place Moore League match as Long Beach Poly hosted fellow league unbeaten Millikan on Tuesday evening, in a battle of the top two ranked teams in the city. The three-time defending league champion Jackrabbits proved themselves the class of the city in a dominant sweep of the Rams, 25-9, 25-13, 25-20.
Poly coach Gerald Aquiningoc is a perfectionist who almost always has a way he’d like to see his team improve but he had to admit his Jackrabbits looked good in a match that saw them serve up 12 aces.
“I thought we played pretty lights out, start to finish,” he said. “You know, there’s a couple things I’d like to do better but I think right now we’re in a good place.”
The Jackrabbits are No. 9 in the CIF-SS in the section’s first rankings and MaxPreps has had them as high as third in the state. They head to Durango in Las Vegas this weekend for another set of big tests. Aquiningoc said his team’s serve approach remains critical for them if they want to knock off more big teams, as they’ve done this year.
“We are going to be playing against more physical teams and so that first attack, our serve, is super super important,” he said. We’re accurate and we’re low and fast in the seams right now.”
The Jackrabbits got a big night from UC Irvine commit and reigning Moore League Player of the Year Kennah Iamaleava, who had seven kills, four aces, five blocks, and six digs in the victory. Iamaleava is a complete player and put her fingerprints on every aspect of the match on Tuesday.
“She’s just a special player, man,” said Aquiningoc. “I call her the silent assassin because she does everything, she’s a complete volleyball player. She served very well tonight, she went on two six-point service runs and then her front row play she’s playing above the block, and defensively she gives us great back row play.”
Iamaleava said the Jackrabbits don’t mind playing in their hot gym, since they train in it all the time. Although those in the stands were fanning themselves, she said her team felt fine.
“We’re seeing Millikan go outside during timeouts and we’re like, ‘It’s not even that hot,’” she said with a smile. “I do feel like today was a statement, Millikan is a really good team and we took it in three.”
Poly setter Mina Orbiso did a great job spreading the ball around, aided in part by strong passing from Poly’s back line including libero Cika Talaga, an Illinois commit. Orbiso got at least three kills from Iamaleava, Aleeya Salima, Avery Milburn, Alison Wetteland, and Lailah Clayborne.
“Our goal was to play with no emotion, to play with each other, and I think we succeeded in that,” said Talaga.
First-year Millikan coach Gus Tuaniga said his team’s inability to receive serve created a compounding issue that they struggled to overcome.
“We didn’t show up, and we kind of got in our own heads,” he said. “It started with our first contact. Poly’s a good serving team, and when one got away from us it created a triple effect. We have to focus on our first contact if we want to play with these good teams.”
UC Santa Cruz commit Lila Walters battled all match at setter for the Rams, despite having to cover a lot of ground to set balls.
“She’s a workhorse, our passing isn’t as strong yet but she’s all over the place and I give her props because it’s not easy setting balls on the run,” said Tuaniga. “Playing teams like this is going to keep getting us better.”
The Rams also got some big swings from Natasha Willaert, Cheyenne Lander, Paige Mundon and Willow Lebron.
Poly (9-3, 2-0) will be in Vegas this weekend for Durango then return for home matches against Jordan on Tuesday and Bishop Montgomery on Thursday. Millikan (4-5, 1-1) will host Lakewood on Thursday and travel to Wilson next week.
