Pali High Volleyball Outlasts Windward

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Win No. 1 of the 2023 season did not come easy for the Palisades Charter High School girls volleyball team.

Having dropped their opener at Crescenta Valley in four sets, the Dolphins had to dig deep to avoid an 0-2 hole, holding off host Windward, 27-25, 20-25, 25-20, 16-25, 15-10, last Thursday, August 24, in Mar Vista.

“We’re a team right now, and we came here ready to win it,” senior outside hitter Carly Bloom said. “A lot of us were playing against our club coaches. Me and Ava [Pearce] did a lot of eye work and communicating. When you get to a fifth set you never want to lose. We stepped up our off-block defense.”

After trailing by four to five points for most of the first set, the Dolphins rallied to pull even at 23-23 and took the lead 24-23 on Bloom’s kill. The teams traded side outs twice before a net violation gave Palisades the win.

The Wildcats, ranked 17th in Southern Section Division 4, forged a 23-20 lead in Set 2 before closing it out to level the match. Pearce put the ball down to win Set 3 for Palisades, but it fell behind by seven points early in the fourth stanza, which Windward won to force a decider.

The teams traded points until 9-9 when the Dolphins used a 5-0 run to reach match point. On the second try, victory was secured, and the exhausted players hugged and high-fived on the court as head coach Carlos Gray pumped his fist.

“We needed this,” Gray said. “We found a way to rebound after losing that fourth set.”

Palisades hosts Brentwood on August 31 while its intersectional contest against Viewpoint has been rescheduled for October 10, also at home. The Dolphins’ first tournament will either be Venice Invitational (September 8 to 9) or the Crescenta Valley Classic (September 22 to 23).

Strong play by Hazel Irving, Bianca Dolatta, Rowan Williams, Brooke Stratton, Christie Turner, Gabi Kawasaki and Tulah Block contributed to the victory.

On Monday, August 28, Palisades improved to 2-1 with a sweep of LACES in its Western League opener.

Palisades lost to Venice in the City Open Division quarterfinals last fall. The Dolphins won the last of their record 30 section crowns in the delayed 2020 season, which ended in spring 2021.