The 2013 Prep Girls Volleyball scene in San Pedro ended too soon for San Pedro High, who for the fourth straight season placed third in the Marine League and lost in the first round of the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division I playoffs. Mary Star wasn't able to make the playoffs at all in the CIF-Southern Section after winning only twice in 14 matches.

Port Of Los Angeles wasn't able to crack Elizabeth Learning Center for the second straight season as they were swept in the CIF-LACS Division VI quarterfinals.

So as the 2014 season hits full stride, San Pedro, POLA and Mary Star all have coaches entering their first seasons at the helm.

Chris Ceballos comes over from St. Bernard of Playa Del Rey to take over as the new head man for the Pirates, who over the years has produced tremendous talent, and three City Section titles. Rowel Ramirez is now the coach at POLA, who is the three-time defending Crosstown League champion. Tyler Jaynes is now the head coach at Mary Star, and all three are looking to change the fabric of their respective programs, who all have an established volleyball pedigree.

"The discipline and expectations from coach Chris are high and the coaching in general is solid," says San Pedro senior outside hitter Paige Peterson, an All-Marine League first team selection last year. "He wants us to win as much as we do as a team and that dedication is what is most important to me and what I feel is going to be the key to success."

San Pedro (8-7 overall in 2013) was a schizophrenic kind of team last season. On one day, the Pirates can dazzle with an amazing comeback to snatch victory from the jaws of certain defeat like they did in a classic Marine League victory over Banning of Wilmington, and on another, they would get stung with a shocking four-set loss to King-Drew of Los Angeles.

Ceballos is looking to eliminate the inconsistency that has plagued an otherwise successful Pirate program who hasn't won a league title since the 2009 team that reached the City Section finals. That was also the last time the Pirates defeated both Carson and Narbonne, who shared the league crown last season.

Peterson is one of two All-Marine League returning players for San Pedro, senior libero Reanna Pele (second team) being another. Sophomore setter Katie Bentojova, senior setter Jessica Utley, senior middle blocker Julia Sampson and senior opposite hitter Brittany Foster also return for the Pirates, whose roster got boasted with two transfers in 6'1'' senior outside hitter Allie Kittell (from Indiana), and 5'11'' junior outside hitter Tracy Folchi (North Torrance High), and the emergence of sophomore libero Jordan Freitas, the younger sister of former All-Marine League setter Austin Freitas from the boys team.

Ceballos dubs Kittlell and Folchi 'the Twin Towers'.

POLA (18-15-1 last season) - The Polar Bears were able to repeat as Crosstown League champions last season despite a late-season loss to Rancho Dominguez Prep, but the league this year gets a new face lift, and a round-robin schedule where they play fellow league foes Foshay Learning Center, Bright Star and newcomer Dymally four times each in a 12-game league schedule.

The biggest change for POLA is not only adjusting to the style of Ramirez, but also adjusting to life without two of their most gifted athletes in Angela Wade (Harbor College, volleyball) and Allison Bayer (Carroll College in Montana, softball).

"There's definitely a difference without our amazing outside hitter and middle," POLA senior setter/OH Maria Mohan says of Wade and Bayer. "But this year we have a solid team with the hunger to come back better than ever. We can make it to the playoffs without a doubt."

Like San Pedro, POLA got a transfer from the East Coast to be a benificial help to a young team in Virginia transfer Kellen McMurry, a solid senior setter/OH that has already impressed earlier this past week against Banning by serving ten aces.

She, along with Mohan will switch up from setter and outside hitter time to time, and the Polar Bears will also be led by senior middle blocker Savana Ramirez, senior outside hitter Isabela Van Antwerp, and senior opposite hitter Tiffany Torres, who are all two-sport standouts. Junior OH/MB Julia Garcia has drastically improved her game, senior L/DS Vanessa Enriquez is another key returner for POLA.

MARY STAR (2-12 last season) - This is a young, but talented team that will look to make some noise in the newly realigned Santa Fe League. Mary Star has seven sophomores on a 12-player roster. senior Hope Marinkovich, the All-Camino Real League second team libero, is the daughter of football coach Mike Markinovich and is the main veteran on this team.

All-Camino Real League second team outside hitter Ally Spillane, libero Lexi Andrie and All-Camino Real League second team setter Angela Pisano lead the cast of seven sensational sophomores.

Pisano (basketball), sophomore middle blocker Gianna Fletcher (softball) and senior outside hitter Dori Lindeman (soccer) were All-Camino Real League selections in other sports, while Spillane is the Stars' returning leader in kills.

"I am extremely excited about our team's ability to compete for the Santa Fe League title," Spillane says. "I am confident we have enough talent and strengths in a variety of positions to be successful."

Expect senior opposite hitter Evelyn Pronovost and sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Martinez to be much improved as viable options for Pisano to set up for kills besides Spillane, while Andrie has a wicked serve which should provide a lot of easy points for Mary Star.

The only crosstown matchup where two of the new coaches can match up against each other will come on Tuesday, September 23, when Ramirez and the Polar Bears pay a visit to Mary Star and Jaynes. That match should be a lot of fun, and so will the entire 2014 prep girls volleyball seasons for all three schools.