Alemany girls volleyball loses star player London Wijay to USC

Bishop Alemany outside hitter London Wijay recently announced that she had completed high school early and will enroll at USC this fall and join the school’s women’s volleyball team.

Wijay, who was the Daily News Offensive Player of the Year in 2021 and ’22, was supposed to be a senior at Alemany this school year.

“I first want to thank my family for literally everything,” Wijay posted on Instagram on Aug. 9 “I want to thank the USC coaching staff for all the love and for believing in me and finally I want to thank all my teammates and coaches that I have had the privilege of playing with. Without you there is no me.”

I decided to skip my senior year to play volleyball for USC this year. I want to thank my Family, Supernova, Munciana, Alemany, Teammates and Coaches for being part of my journey. I want to also thank the USC Coaches for all the love and for believing in me. @uscwomensvolley pic.twitter.com/FXVzWlZ8eL

— londonwijay (@londonrosewijay) August 9, 2023

She was the No. 2-ranked prospect in California according to the prepdig.com rankings. She had a total of 572 kills, 417 digs, 35 blocks and 72 aces in her junior year with the Warriors.

“We’ve seen what she can do on the volleyball court, but her maturity and competitive drive are what truly set her apart,” USC volleyball coach Brad Keller said in a press release.

“It takes a driven individual to forgo their senior year of high school and join a program like ours, and we believe London has all the tools she needs to thrive in this environment and at this university.”

Volleyball teams gear up for Durango Fall Classic

The high school girls volleyball season is just getting underway, but the Durango Fall Classic has area teams bracing for tough competition.

Six area teams will compete in the tournament: Bishop Alemany, Chaminade, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Harvard-Westlake, Sierra Canyon and Village Christian.

The national tournament, slated for Sept. 22-23, brings together top competition from across the country in Las Vegas and this year features teams from Nevada, Kentucky, Utah, Texas, Arizona, Hawaii and Idaho.

“Going to that tournament, you know you’re going to face really good competition,” Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy coach Trent Tcheng said. “It’s to try to get your girls as much experience against that level of competition to hopefully propel your team at the end of this season.”

The competition will feature teams like Prestonwood Christian Academy, which is coming off its fifth Texas state championship. Sierra Canyon finished fifth in last year’s Durango Fall Classic final standings before going on to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship.

Coaching changes in the Angeles League

Two area teams from the Angeles League will have new head coaches at the helm this season.

Notre Dame hired Jon Dazé as head coach in March. Dazé was an assistant coach at the 2016 Olympics, where Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross won bronze in beach volleyball. He’s also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Pepperdine and coached at Irvine Valley College.

The Knights finished third in the Angeles League last season behind Chaminade and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.

Louisville brings in Frankie Valdez as a head coach. He previously was an assistant at Harvard-Westlake.

The Royals went to five sets Tuesday night in a season-opening loss to St. Bonaventure and will next play at Burbank on Thursday.

Angeles League play begins the week of Sept. 11.