Ximena Cordero is youngest sister of Grecian and Karen, who both went on to college volleyball. Mustangs take on Torrey Pines in CIF Open playoffs on Thursday.
When her two older sisters played volleyball at Otay Ranch High, Ximena Cordero, the youngest sister, was there as well.Instead, Ximena and her friends were peppering a volleyball back and forth along the side of the court.“Someone would yell out ‘Grab that kid and make her stop.’”
Ximena, 16, is a junior who led Otay Ranch to last year’s San Diego Section Division II championship. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter is clearly the leader of the Mustangs on the court as they begin another playoff run. The No. 7-seeded Mustangs visit No. 2 Torrey Pines at 7 p.m. Thursday, this year in the Open Division.
Otay Ranch coach Michael Pandaan couldn’t wait for Cordero sister No. 3 to start her playing career as a Mustang. Unlike 2014 when the Mustangs lost the Division II title to Ramona and 2016 when they lost the Division I title to Del Norte, Otay Ranch downed Francis Parker 25-22, 10-25, 25-20, 25-23 for the first crown in school history.“I cried when we finished the match. I couldn’t even talk.Last season’s championship banner is now a source of pride for the Mustangs community and for Cordero.