The Bishop Diego girls volleyball team will play for the program's sixth CIF-Southern Section championship at Cerritos College on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Cardinals (27-7) will take on Long Beach Poly (27-12) for the Division 3 title. It will be the first-ever meeting between the schools.
Bishop Diego last won a CIF title in 2021, when standout Eliana Urzua was a freshman. That team was guided by current coach Dillan Bennett.
The school's previous titles came in 1975, 77, 78 and 79.
Long Beach Poly, a school with a rich athletic tradition, last won a girls volleyball title in 2000, capturing Southern Section's the top division (1AA). The Jackrabbits finished as runners-up the following year.
Bishop Diego and Long Beach Poly have a common opponent in Bishop Montgomery. The Cardinals won a CIF second-round playoff match over the Knights in four sets, while Poly swept them in a non-league match.
Long Beach Poly went 11-0 in the Moore League and played strong teams outside of league like Division 1 finalist Sierra Canyon, Division 2 finalist Murrieta Valley, Redondo Union, La Cañada, Los Alamitos and powerhouse programs from Hawaii. In the semifinals, the Jackrabbits rallied from an 0-2 deficit to beat Windward on the road.
Bishop Diego also is battle tested. The Cardinals split matches against Division 4 finalist Newbury Park and beat a strong Los Gatos team from the Central Coast Section. They lost a five-game match against San Marcos and fell in four against Santa Barbara. They defeated a strong Cypress team in four sets in the semifinals.