Palihi Boys Volleyball Swept in City Final

Ever since being defeated on its home floor by Granada Hills in a nonleague match early in the season, the Palisades High boys volleyball team had been dying for a rematch.

The Dolphins were missing several starters and had only gotten in a few practices prior to their four-set loss to the Highlanders on March 7, and they arrived at Venice High for Saturday night's City Section Division I championship match confident that they would turn the tables.

It was the Highlanders, however, who executed better and took command in the latter stages of each set on their way to a shockingly one-sided 25-20, 25-21, 25-17 victory.

"It's disappointing because we were clearly capable of beating that team, guys just weren't stepping up and everything was off today," Palihi senior captain said. "We watched film of the last match and the coaches had us prepared, we just didn't play up to our capabilities. I learned a lot and there's still things we can take from this season, but it would've been better if we'd won." 

had 10 kills and Van Duzer added nine for the Dolphins, who showed signs of nerves much as they did in Tuesday's semifinal sweep of Sun Valley Poly. However, the third-seeded Parrots had been unable to take advantage of Palisades' mistakes, whereas the Highlanders capitalized on nearly every opportunity the Dolphins presented them Saturday.

"This is what we expected to do," said senior outside hitter Ryan Sikorsky, who led the West Valley League champions with nine kills. "We knew we would break them down, it was just a question of when. The end of the second game is when I felt we had them, but we treat every game like it's the first. We have a disciplined front line and we don't let up." 

It was the Dolphins' second straight loss in the City Division I title match. Palisades fell in five sets to another West Valley League team, Woodland Hills Taft, last spring.

Not a soul in the gym seemed more surprised by the ease with which the Highlanders handled their opponents than longtime Granada Hills Coach Tom Harp.

"I was just settling in for a rock'em, sock'em five-setter, so I'm the last one who expected this," Harp said. "I knew Palisades would be a lot better than last time. I know they didn't have some of their key guys and even in that match we were fairly even. This one was, too, we were just able to get a little run at the crucial times." 

The Western League champion Dolphins (28-11-2) committed a net violation to end the first set, then fell behind 24-18 in the second set before reeling off three straight points. However, it was too big a hole to dig out of and Victor Carson spiked down the line to give top-seeded Granada Hills (21-3) a two-set lead.

Van Duzer jump-served an ace to level the third set at 12-12, but the Highlanders won the next five points--two of them on stuff blocks--to seize command. Senior middle blocker Robert Docter ended the match with a crosscourt kill to the open court.

, the City Player of the Year at Palisades last season and now a freshman hitter at UCLA, was in the bleachers to cheer on his younger brother , a junior opposite hitter on the Dolphins' current squad.

"I won [City] my sophomore year and lost in the finals last year, so I know how this feels and it's not a nice feeling," Kene said. "I wanted to get in there and help so bad."

Historically, Palisades is still king when it comes to City Section boys volleyball, having won a record 11 upper division championships. Granada Hills, however, has now won the upper division crown four times in the last six years and owns seven titles in all (five upper division, two lower division).

Granada Hills not only swept the Dolphins but also completed a sweep of the boys and girls Division I titles. The girls squad outlasted Carson in a five-set final in the fall. 

To view more images of Saturday's City Division I final, please visit photographer Chuck Cohen's website: www.chuckcohenphotography.com.