Now the real season begins for the Palisades High boys varsity water polo team.
The Dolphins breezed through their schedule and are the favorites to repeat as City Section champions. They host their first playoff match at 3 p.m. today at the Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center and Coach Adam Blakis thinks his team is stronger than the one that beat Birmingham 13-10 in the finals to capture its first City title last fall.
“We’re so much better than last year,” said Blakis, who started the program two years ago. “Five of our seven starters are seniors and we’re simply more seasoned. We haven’t lost to a City team so we’ll be the favorites, but we still have to prove ourselves.”
The quarterfinals are Tuesday, the semifinals are next Thursday and the third-place and championship matches will be held November 20 at Contreras High School.
Girls Tennis
Palisades High is seeded second in the 12-team City Championship draw and received a first-round bye. The Dolphins will host either seventh-seeded Venice or 10th-seeded Wilson in the quarterfinals on Friday at 12:30 p.m. at the Palisades Tennis Center.
If the Dolphins win Friday they will host a semifinal match next Tuesday, when they could face third-seeded Cleveland. The No. 1 seed is Granada Hills, which beat Palisades in last year’s title match.
The finals are November 15 at the Balboa Sports Center in Encino.
Girls Volleyball
Having wrapped up the Western League title, the Dolphins seem poised for a run at another City crown. That journey begins next Tuesday when Palisades hosts a first-round match. Playoff seedings will be determined this afternoon at Venice High.
Palisades, coached by Charles Gray, seeks its fourth consecutive section championship and second straight Division I title. The Dolphins defeated Narbonne in the Division I final last year after winning back-to-back Division II titles.
The quarterfinals are November 14, the semifinals are November 19 and the final is Saturday, November 23, at Roybal Learning Center.
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