A week ago, the Fallbrook High girls volleyball team believed its season would end with last night's Avocado League finale against Carlsbad.
A court-issued injunction may change that.
A week after being told they wouldn't be considered for the San Diego Section playoffs after forfeiting seven matches, the Warriors are now eligible for a postseason berth.
“The courts, in my opinion, saw we had been wronged,” said Fallbrook coach Galen Tomlinson. “They're trying to make this right.”
The temporary restraining order allows the Warriors, minus a player who was declared ineligible, to be considered for the Division I postseason, section Commissioner Dennis Ackerman confirmed yesterday.
The decision, issued in San Diego Superior Court, overturns a section ruling that any team with five or more forfeits be disqualified from postseason consideration.
The forfeits stem from an investigation that determined a Fallbrook player, who was born and started high school in Mexico, was in violation of a rule that limits athletes to competing in no more than eight consecutive semesters. The player was found to be competing in her ninth semester.
According to Tomlinson, Fallbrook must include the forfeits in its season record when submitting paperwork to the section office for playoff consideration today. The brackets will be finalized tomorrow.
After last night's loss to Carlsbad in a match that decided the league championship, the Warriors finished with an overall record of 13-17.
“I took on this endeavor on my girls' behalf because I feel very confident that they deserved the right to play,” said Tomlinson, who added a hearing on the issue has been scheduled for Nov. 16. “I feel confident we'll prevail.”
Nicole Vargas: (619) 293-1390; nicole.vargas@uniontrib.com
