The562’s coverage of high school volleyball in 2026 is brought to you by the MLP’s Bay Area Breakers.
The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
It’s been a picture-perfect playoff run for the Lakewood girls’ volleyball team, which will play for it all on Friday night in search of the program’s first CIF-SS title since 1983, when the Lancers last appeared in a championship match. The Lancers will face Villa Park in the CIF-SS Division 6 championship at 4pm at Cerritos College.
Lakewood has yet to drop a set throughout its playoff run, earning sweeps against Covina, Yucaipa, Mayfair and Castaic en route to the championship bout. The closest the Lancers have come to dropping a set was in a 33-31 semifinal set against Castaic, but Lakewood and coach Adam Wadley couldn’t care less about any of those results.
“I’ve been putting the phrase ‘who cares?’ on the board ever since the first round,” Wadley said. “It doesn’t matter that we’ve been winning 3-0—it can all change in one game and come crashing down. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done in the past. It’s all about what we do now and how we prepare for this championship match.”
Standing in Lakewood’s way is a Villa Park team that finished as undefeated North Hills League champions, going 12-13 during the regular season. The Spartans picked up wins over Granite Hills, Alta Loma, Dos Pueblos and Capo Valley en route to the final, including a pair of five-setters against Granite Hills and Dos Pueblos.
The Spartans are making their first-ever CIF-SS championship appearance and are led by six-foot senior setter Devyn Mitchell, who’s directed a balanced attack. Senior outside hitter Katya Aguilar has been a key offensive weapon at the pins, while freshman libero Amy Foote has helped anchor Villa Park’s defense.
“They definitely have some really solid pin hitters on both sides, and they have a very good setter,” Wadley said of Villa Park. “We need to make sure we take care of our first touch, like serve and pass, which we’ve done a good job of this entire run. They’re a good team, and they made the finals too, so we have to give them that same respect.”
The Lancers’ playoff success this season has hinged on an overall team effort, led by senior setter Layla Bailey-Zavala and senior outside hitter Jenna Smith, who’s averaging a team-high 12 kills per game through Lakewood’s postseason stretch. Junior Aaryn Hunter has rounded out that trio of captains and has a simple message for her team ahead of the championship.
“Play like champions,” Hunter said. “It’s next point, goldfish mentality, and we’re not going to worry about any mistakes. Volleyball is a game of mistakes, so we’re just going to keep going each and every point.”
Lakewood has had a handful of girls step into huge roles this season, all of whom will be key on Friday night. Setter-turned-outside hitter Mialani Mapu has stepped up as just a sophomore, while sophomore opposite London Livesey has had a couple of huge stretches throughout the playoff run.
Much of the Lancers’ success has been in the serve-and-pass battle, where libero Erin Francisco has led a consistent serve-receive unit that will again be key come Friday. Lakewood has had numerous girls step up from behind its own end line this postseason and is averaging more than 12 aces per match.
Lakewood has only had to go on the road once this postseason, which came in the form of a two-mile trip up the street to face Mayfair in the quarterfinals. Although the championship match won’t be at home, host site Cerritos College certainly feels like an advantage for Lakewood compared to the 30-minute commute for Villa Park.
“We’ve been having the same routine throughout the whole playoff run, and it’s nice that we don’t have to stray too far from our routine [with the game being at Cerritos],” Wadley said. “I think that’ll help us out when we get to Friday because it’ll be the same thing we’ve been doing all season, and it shouldn’t feel too out of place.”
Prior to the scheduling of the championship, Wadley and his family had arranged a memorial service for his brother, Jared, who suddenly passed away last month. The service was scheduled for Saturday morning, and both Villa Park and the CIF-SS were aware of the arrangement through connections with athletic director Mike Wadley. Both parties were accommodating in scheduling the championship for Friday night to avoid a conflict.
Adam said he and his family were very appreciative of their consideration, and he’s looking forward to playing for his brother in the championship match. Lakewood has already qualified for the CIF State playoffs, with brackets set to be released Sunday.
“Whatever happens, I get to be with my family on Friday along with these girls,” Wadley said. “Our goal is to win, but with these girls playing so hard and playing for Jared, it’s been helpful to my entire family with the grieving process. We’re just going to go out and continue to play for Jared.”
