Back Where They Belong

Dolphins Sweep Rival Venice to Regain City Section’s Volleyball Championship

Saturday night’s City Section girls volleyball final seemed almost anticlimactic–and that’s just the way Palisades wanted it. The top-seeded Dolphins dispatched Venice the same way they had their four previous playoff opponents–quickly and decisively. Palisades needed just 75 minutes to punctuate its perfect postseason with a 25-21, 25-15, 25-21 sweep at Occidental College in Eagle Rock that netted the program’s 24th City title and first since 2003. Venice (18-4-1), playing in its third final in seven seasons, jumped out to an early lead before the Dolphins settled into their game. “Coach warned us there might be pre-game nervousness and when we started off slow he said ‘Okay, we got the jitters out, now let’s play,'” junior outside hitter Laura Goldsmith said. “After that, we started putting the ball down and got more and more confident.” Sure, the scores were a little closer, but by the middle of the first game the outcome was never in doubt. It was clear who had brought the heavier weapons. “We’ve been on a roll and we just continued it today,” said Pali Coach Chris Forrest, whose team needed the minimum 15 games to win the City tournament. “Alex [Lunder] had another great match. I don’t think she made one error.” Lunder had 15 kills and two blocks, Teal Johnson added six kills and sophomore Tait Johnson had 22 digs. Venice dealt the Dolphins their only loss to a City team all season, prevailing in five games in their first Western League meeting–a loss Palisades avenged in a sweep two weeks later. The second-seeded Gondoliers had rallied from a two-game deficit to beat Woodland Hills Taft in the semifinals, but this time there would be no comeback. “I’m really proud of my girls, they did everything I asked them to,” Venice Coach Allen Hunt said. “You have to give Pali credit. They go seven, eight, nine deep and all of them can play. They’re a very good team but we’ll be back.” Setter Jenna McCallister was on her game, serving expertly and dishing out assists to Lunder, Goldsmith, Johnson, Bonnie Wirth and Kelsey Kiel. Defensive specialist Rachel Ehrlich passed superbly and guarded the back line against Gondos’ sophomore hitter Katie McCabe, who finished with a team-best nine kills. When the final point was won, Palisades’ bench erupted and players on the floor hugged each other and raised their fingers in the air to signify who’s No. 1. This year, at least, there can be no argument. “This is an amazing feeling,” senior outside hitter Jennifer Donohue said. “I can’t put it into words. This is something we’ve worked for all season and it feels great.” As City champions, the Dolphins earned a berth in the state tournament, where they hosted Southern Section Division I-AA semifinalist Lakewood (25-7) in the quarterfinals Tuesday (see story below). * * * * Spikers Bounced in State Tourney Still basking in the glow of Saturday’s City title victory, the Palisades High girls volleyball team faced a new challenge in the quarterfinals of the Division I state playoffs. For the first time this season, the Dolphins went into Tuesday’s match against Lakewood as decided underdogs. Senior setter Jenna McCallister told her teammates to play as if they had nothing to lose. “I saw it as a chance to host another match in our gym, in front of our fans and to see the banners hanging up there one last time,” McCallister said. “Win or lose, we were going to leave it all on the court and that’s what we did.” Palisades (25-9) was riding a nine-match winning streak in which it had reeled off 27 consecutive games, including a sweep of archrival Venice three nights before. But first the streak, then the Dolphins’ season, ended abruptly in a 25-20, 25-21, 25-16 loss to the fourth-seeded Lancers (27-7), Southern Section Division I-AA semifinalists. “When you play a Section champion’whether it’s San Diego, Central, Southern or L.A. City, you’re getting the best they have,” Lakewood Coach Mike Wadley said. “They used a lot of float serves and things we’re not used to seeing. They did well with what they had.” Trailing 15-14 in the second game, Lakewood used a 8-0 run to seize control of the match. Laura Goldsmith led Pali with nine kills, Alex Lunder had eight and Teal Johnson had six. McCallister finished with 28 assists and Tait Johnson had 12 digs. “I’m super proud of the girls,” Pali Coach Chris Forrest said. “Even when they were down they fought hard. That team was just too tough tonight.”