Long Beach Poly Reaches CIF-SS Final After Semifinal Win
Long Beach Poly beat Murrieta Valley in four sets in a CIF-SS Division 2 semifinal played Halloween night.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Volleyball
Long Beach Poly defeated Murrieta Valley 25-22, 20-25, 25-16, 25-18 in a CIF-SS Division 2 semifinal at Ron Palmer Pavilion on October 31, 2026. The win advances Poly to the championship match against Redondo Union.
Why it matters
The result extends Long Beach Poly's run of deep postseason appearances and keeps a local program in contention for a CIF-SS title. It also continues the program's strong home record at Ron Palmer Pavilion, which is scheduled for renovation after the season.
Poly built leads of 10-3, 6-3, 11-4 and 9-1 in the four sets, and the Alison Wetteland and Lailah Clayborne middle attack combined for 15 kills on 27 swings. The final against Redondo Union will be Poly's fifth CIF-SS title game appearance.
The players
Long Beach Poly
Long Beach Poly is a public high school in Long Beach, California, with a long-running girls' volleyball program that has reached multiple CIF-SS title games.
Aleeyah Salima
Aleeyah Salima is a Long Beach Poly player who led the team with 13 kills in the semifinal win.
The details
Poly's middle attack and early set leads carried the match, with Cika Talaga adding six aces and 16 digs from the libero position. Poly also snapped Redondo Union's 11-match winning streak in the earlier regular-season meeting on October 14, when it won in five sets.
Timeline
October 14, 2026: Long Beach Poly beat Redondo Union in five sets in a regular-season match.
October 31, 2026: Long Beach Poly won the CIF-SS Division 2 semifinal against Murrieta Valley.
Monday, November 2, 2026: The CIF-SS office is expected to announce the official start time for the final.
November 7, 2026: The CIF-SS championship match is expected at Cerritos College.
Season Trajectory
Poly's advance to the CIF-SS Division 2 final places the program among the last two teams in its division's bracket this season. The result follows the program's recent pattern of deep runs in the Southern Section playoffs.
Fans planning to attend the final should watch for the official start time, which the CIF-SS office will announce Monday, since the match is expected at Cerritos College on Saturday, November 7. Poly's home gym, Ron Palmer Pavilion, is scheduled for renovation after the season, so this is the last stretch of play there before the work begins.
The takeaway
A single semifinal can shift a season, and Poly's road to the final shows how set-by-set control and strong service play decide close playoff matches. Readers following the bracket should check CIF-SS announcements for the final's start time.
What happens next
The CIF-SS championship match against Redondo Union is expected Saturday, November 7, at Cerritos College, with the official start time to be announced by the CIF-SS office on Monday, November 2.
Further reading
For more high school results, see Volleyball coverage across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The562.
