PALISADES HIGH GIRLS TENNIS PREVIEW

Losing in the City Section finals last season might have been the best thing that could’ve happened to the Palisades High girls varsity tennis team. Although the Dolphins breezed through the season undefeated and earned the top seed in the playoffs, returning players are still upset they lost the match that counted most. So this year’s team won’t be satisfied just making the finals. It wants to win Palisades’ first championship since 1998 and restore pride to a program that has produced 17 City titles since the sport was sanctioned in 1975. The Dolphins will try to accomplish their goal without a single senior on their roster, but what they might lack in experience they make up for in talent and depth. ‘We’re definitely stronger this year than last while [defending champion] Granada Hills has lost a lot of players,’ said head coach Bud Kling, who has led Pali to City titles in his 20 seasons. ‘A lot will depend on how much our younger players improve and how much production we get from our No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.’ Knowing he would miss part of the summer to attend the Olympic Games in Greece, Kling appointed juniors Krista Slocum and Brittany O’Neil as team captains and they gladly accepted the challenge of running preseason workouts. ‘Even though the tennis season is only one semester, we look at it as a year-round sport,’ said O’Neil, who will likely play No. 1 or No. 2 doubles. ‘Every player was required to play nine events over the summer and we’ve all been working hard on our fundamentals and conditioning.’ Slocum, who will return as the Dolphins’ No. 2 singles player, said she takes her role as captain seriously: ‘It’s a big responsibility because everyone looks to you for answers but I like it because you get respect too.’ Slocum said she prefers high school to junior tennis because of the team concept. ‘It’s easier to stay serious and focused when you have a team that’s counting on you,’ she said. Sophomore Olivia Colman returns to play No. 1 singles, having enjoyed a successful summer on the junior circuit. She took first place in the 18s at the Northridge Open in August and won the Women’s Division of the Santa Monica Women’s Open on Labor Day. Making the Dolphins’ singles lineup even more formidable is the addition of Contessa Brown, a transfer who was voted most valuable player at Culver City High as a freshman last season. Sophomore Lauren Pugatch returns to play No. 4 singles. ‘Olivia is one of the top players in the City, Krista and Contessa are interchangeable at No. 2 and No. 3 singles and Lauren has a year’s worth of experience now,’ Kling said. ‘Getting Contessa was huge because not only does it strengthen our singles, it also adds a very good player to doubles.’ Though he has yet to pick his doubles pairs, Kling has a bevy of quality players to choose from. Juniors Yasmir Navas, Sarah Jurick, Dina Quick, Cassie Boyd, Mary Logan and Lotte Kiepe will challenge for roster spots along with sophomores Masha Elakovic, Elieka Salamipour, Sophie Yoo, Alex Kling and freshmen Lisa Mesrop and Sarah Yankelevitz. ‘ I definitely think we’ll be better this season than last and I’m looking forward to it,’ Navas said while breaking in her new Babolat racket. ‘I played singles last year but I’m looking forward to playing doubles this year. It’s comforting to play with someone else because you can talk and you’re not all alone out there.’ C.W. Brown, Contessa’s father, will coach the junior varsity, which primarily consists of a promising crop of ninth graders like Kathryn Cullen, Yasamin Ghiasi, Chloe Haddad, Erika Lee and Genna Rochlin. ‘It’ll be great for the program to have a qualified assistant coach like him [Brown] because our practices will be much more efficient,’ Kling said. ‘The younger kids will get more instruction and that frees up time for me to drill the varsity players.’ Kling said the lack of quality competition last year ultimately hurt Pali when it met Granada Hills in the finals because the Dolphins had not been tested. So Kling dropped small private schools Crossroads and Marymount and added perennial Southern Section powers Malibu and Mira Costa to the Dolphins’ schedule. ‘We don’t play in the strongest league so I’ve tried to balance that with more difficult nonleague opponents,’ Kling said. ‘Even if we lose, I’d rather have the experience of playing close, competitive sets because it will help sharpen us up for the playoffs.’ With such a young team, Kling knows the future of his program is bright. And he hopes this is the year the Dolphins break through and reclaim their place as the elite program in the City. ‘It’s been awhile since we’ve won, so I’m hoping this will be the year,’ Kling said. ‘I think we have a good chance.’

PALISADES HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

Faced with the difficult challenge of defending the City championship it won in November, the Palisades High girls varsity volleyball team begins the season with a new coach and seven new players. How quickly those new players develop could determine whether or not the Dolphins pin a 23rd championship banner to the wall of their gymnasium. ‘It’s harder to stay at the top than it is to get there,’ Pali’s senior setter Diana Grubb said. ‘We know every team we play is going to be up for us. There are really only a few of us who know what it feels like to win a City title so our success will depend on how well the younger players handle the pressure.’ The Dolphins’ new coach is Cheri Stuart, who also teaches biology and physiology classes at Pali and serves as the school’s athletic trainer. ‘I see a lot of promise but I don’t necessarily think a City championship is the goal this year,’ said Stuart, who was a scholarship player at Northern Illinois, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. ‘I have a lot more talent to work with than I thought I would coming in. I’m not going to say we can’t win City’maybe we will. But the proof is in the pudding.’ Grubb has had to play for a different coach each of her four years at Pali and admitted it has made for a difficult situation. ‘It’s not even weird anymore, it’s more like extreme frustration,’ she said. ‘But you have to keep an open mind and play within whatever system the coach wants. For example, we’re still running a 5-1 (a formation that uses only one setter) but our method of defense and offense will be different this year.’ A key factor in Pali’s pursuit of a repeat will be how well senior Natasha Vokhshoori adjusts to the middle blocker position after having played outside hitter last season. Stuart described her top offensive weapon as ‘a fiery player who isn’t satisfied with anything less than the kill.’ Alongside Vokhshoori in the middle will be freshman Alex Lunder, a tall and mobile player who adds another dimension to Pali’s attack. ‘Alex is not only a volleyball player, she’s an athlete,’ Stuart observed. ‘She is very coordinated and when she she’s connecting she’s an awesome hitter.’ Two fearless freshman, Jenna McCallister and Teal Johnson, will likely start as outside hitters. Juniors Megan Chanin and Corey Koffman and freshman Rachael Erlich will be the all-important defensive specialists and junior Kaylie McCallister, Jenna’s sister, will play opposite hitter and back up Grubb at setter. ‘Kaylie has good court awareness, she’s very versatile and she leads by example,’ Stuart said. Rounding out the varsity squad will be Margarita Juarez at outside hitter and Alina Kheyfets at middle blocker. ‘All of our freshmen are very disciplined in practice, they want to learn and they are pushing the seniors, which is good. I expect my players to give their best and I know if I hold them to high standards they won’t play scared.’ Because she is still learning her team, Stuart said she is curious to see who steps in to fill various roles as the season unfolds. ‘No matter what level you play at, every team needs a leader and a cheerleader, a motivator. Every team develops its own unique personality.’ Coaching the junior varsity team will be former Dolphin player and 2001 Palisadian-Post Cup award winner Ian Wolterstorff, who assisted coach Cari Klein at Marymount High last season. ‘It’s fun to be back at Pali,’ Wolterstorff said. ‘I actually like this more because I’m able to do a lot more teaching. A lot of these girls are just learning how to play.’

Maybe it was the long bus ride. Maybe it was first-game jitters. Whatever the reason, Palisades High’s varsity football team looked out of sync and was unable to overcome costly mistakes in a 25-10 season-opening loss Friday night at Sylmar. In the debut of new head coach London Woodfin, the Spartans took advantage of Pali’s poor kick coverage to start drives deep in Dolphin territory. ‘Our offensive line needs to do a better job protecting the quarterback and our special teams just weren’t up to par,’ said Pali’s first-year head coach Leo Castro, who did not enjoy his debut nearly as much as his counterpart. ‘We have five running backs that could start on any team in the City. So we can move the ball fine. But when we get in the red zone we have to score.’ Pali’s only touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter on a 99-yard interception return by junior Andre Harris, but it was too little too late. A bright spot for Palisades was the kicking of Dylan Cohen. He booted a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter and had four punts of 45 yards or more. But the Dolphins’ senior quarterback was pressured all game, completing two of seven passes for 12 yards. Anthony Anaebere led Pali’s rushing attack with 12 carries for 63 yards and Robert Gillette added four carries for 40 yards. ‘Our offense was out there 70 percent of the time, we just committed stupid penalties and basically hurt ourselves,’ said Henry Argueta, Pali’s junior linebacker and tight end. ‘They burned us on two long passes but mostly we gave them great field position. It seemed like they began every possession at our 20.’ After a scoreless first quarter, C.J. Gable returned a Palisades punt 61 yards to set up a 33-yard touchdown pass from John Austin to D’Andre Goodwin. Later, Gable returned a kickoff 80 yards to set up a nine-yard scoring run by Marc Alanis that gave Sylmar a 12-3 halftime lead. Gable gained 121 yards in 10 carries, including a 47-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. ‘Coach [Castro] told us after the game that one loss doesn’t make the whole season,’ Pali senior linebacker David Villalobos said. ‘So we can’t hang our heads. We just have to execute better from here on out. If we give Dylan time to throw, he’ll make plays for us.’ In the preceding frosh/soph game, sophomore receiver Jevon Crowder caught touchdown passes of 30 and 50 yards from quarterback Michael Latt as the Dolphins tied host Sylmar 12-12.

In a showdown between two of the top prep girls programs in California, Marymount High’s varsity volleyball team opened its season with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-21 loss to visiting Manhattan Beach Mira Costa Monday night. Marymount coach and Palisadian Cari Klein hopes her team will respond as it did last year when the Sailors dropped their season opener to Mater Dei before reeling off 36 consecutive victories on the way to their fourth consecutive CIF Division IV state championship. ‘We were right there, we were in every game, we just couldn’t finish them,’ Klein said of Monday’s loss, the Sailors’ 19th in her seven seasons at the school. ‘They were tall’it was like playing a college team’but we did a pretty good job blocking. We’re young and I was moving the girls around a bit. I’m still learning this team whereas last year I knew what my players could do in every situation. I’m hoping we will take this loss to heart and play better if we meet them again in a tournament.’ Mira Costa is ranked No. 1 in California by PrepVolleyball.com while the Sailors are No. 13. Marymount’s roster includes five Palisadians: senior Christina Woodward and sophomores Kelly Irvin, Audrey Eichler, Ali Hoffman and Madison Wojciechowski.

By JIMMY DUNNE Special to the Palisadian-Post It was a perfect end-of-summer Sunday on the beach at Bel-Air Bay Club, where 75 juniors from the Beach Club, Jonathan Club and Bel-Air Bay Club battled it out for the Conference Volleyball Championships two weeks ago at Will Rogers State Beach. Bel-Air Bay Club handily won the title with 22 team wins. The Beach Club finished second with 11 wins and the Jonathan Club was third with five wins. Bel-Air Bay Club won the 14-and-under and 16-and-under Divisions while the Beach Club took first-place in the 12s and 18s. ‘What really struck me more than the kids’ incredible ability was the smiles on their faces and how they acted,’ Beach Club coach Roland Sunga said. ‘I never saw one kid question a call the whole day.’ Juniors’ ages spanned from 10 to 18 and competition was open to both boys and girls. Rock music blared across the beach, moms and dads cheered on the participants and kids had fun with their best friends, culminating with a barbecue on the beach. ‘I look forward to this event all summer long,’ said Meg Norton of the Jonathan Club, who proudly captured ‘Most Improved Player’ honors in the Conference. One of the most celebrated awards of the afternoon went to Madison Wojciechowski, who earned the coveted Linda Hanley Award for exemplifying true character during competition. The award honors Palisades resident Linda Hanley, one of the greatest women’s beach volleyball players of all time, who expressed her passion, love of life and respect for others throughout a stellar pro career. ‘The reason Bel-Air Bay Club’s coaches Greg and Clark Porter are so successful is because they really have a good relationship with so many of the volleyball kids at the club,’ Athletic Director Jason Sandoval said. Huey Wilton of the Beach Club was the Conference’s Most Valuable Player for his dominance in the 18s Division while Peter Eichler, Claire Kannan, Rusty Barneson and Kelly Irvin also earned accolades for their standout play. ‘Hughie Wilton is a force to be reckoned with in beach volleyball. He may very well be the next Karch Kiraly,’ said Roland Sunga, who was named co-Coach of the Year along with Rick Kinnan of the Beach Club. Rows and rows of parents, friends and kids lined the beach breathing in the last moments of a great summer. ‘Is this a great day in Southern California, or what?’ said Cindy Simon as she cheered on daughter Lulu from her beach chair. ‘It’s competitive, and you really want to win’but that’s really not what this day is about,’ Henry Elder said. ‘There’s a spirit in this event that’s not like any other volleyball tournament.’ As the kids sat at picnic tables, they watched the sun melt into the Pacific Oceran and contemplated the upcoming school year, which, for many, began the next day. ‘I’m beaching it with my best friends, I won a trophy today, and I don’t have any homework when I go home,’ said Jessie Kybartas of the Bel-Air Bay Club. ‘What’s better than that?’

The Palisades High varsity football team kicks off its season tomorrow night in unfamiliar territory and against an unfamiliar opponent. The Dolphins travel north to Sylmar for a game against a school they have not played since 1970. Both teams start the season under new leadership. Athletic director Leo Castro will be Palisades’ fourth head coach in the past five years. He replaces Jason Blatt, who compiled a 9-13 record over two seasons. For the Spartans, London Woodfin takes over for longtime coach Jeff Engilman, who built the program into a perennial City Section power. ‘Even with a new quarterback and a new coach, we expect Sylmar to be just as good as it’s always been,’ Castro said. ‘They are physical, they have good athletes and it’ll be a real test for us. It’s going to be a tough game for sure.’ Pali was 4-7 last season, finished fourth in the Western League and lost to El Camino Real in the first round of the Invitational playoffs. The Spartans are trying to reload from a 9-3-1 season in which they won the Valley Mission League title and advanced to the semifinals of the City championship playoffs before losing to top-seeded Venice. Friday’s game will feature two of the top wide receivers in the City Section: C.J. Gable of Sylmar and Pali’s Brandon Bryant. Daniel Vasquez and John Austin will share the quarterback duties for Sylmar while senior Dylan Cohen returns for his second season as the starting quarterback and kicker for Palisades. The teams shared two common opponents last year, each beating Narbonne and Van Nuys. The frosh/soph game begins at 4 p.m. and the varsity game will follow at 7 p.m. Friday at Sylmar High. Directions to Sylmar High: Take the 405 Freeway North for 16 miles, then merge onto I-5 North. Merge onto the 210 Freeway (towards Pasadena), exit at Polk Street. Turn right onto Polk Street and drive half a mile before turning left onto Bordon Avenue. The school is at 13050 Borden Avenue.