PALIHI SPORTS ROUNDUP

Spikers Trumped by Venice

A playoff-like atmosphere permeated the bleachers at the Palisades High gym last Wednesday when the Dolphins? varsity volleyball squad hosted Venice in a clash for Western League supremacy. Unfortunately, the home-court advantage was not enough to lift Palisades over its beach rival. Though every game was hotly contested, the Gondoliers prevailed 25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 25-21 to take over sole possession of first-place. Palisades (3-2 overall, 2-1 in league) rebounded the next day with a five-game triumph over host L.A. Hamilton. Baseball The Dolphins entered Tuesday?s Western League opener at L.A. Hamilton (result unavailable at press time) with a 4-4 record after two wins and one loss in nonleague games last week. Riding the momentum from its 5-1 drubbing of host Carson three days earlier, Palisades traveled north to Woodland Hills to face El Camino Real?the team that eliminated the Dolphins from the City playoffs last season. It appeared Palisades would escape with the victory until Todd Eskelin belted a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Conquistadores a 10-8 win. Andy Megee doubled, homered and drove in four runs and Eric Verdun added a home run for the Dolphins. On Saturday, Johnny Bromberg pitched a four-hitter and struck out six and went two-for-two with one RBI at the plate in Palisades? 5-1 win over Sun Valley Poly at Cleveland High in Reseda. Megee hit an RBI triple and scored two runs. Softball Three lopsided victories kept Palisades undefeated and off to its best start since 1998. The Dolphins mercied host Taft 19-4 last Monday before routing host Washington last Wednesday and outscoring L.A. University, 13-3, in the Western League opener last Thursday. Palisades (6-0) traveled to Los Angeles CES on Tuesday (result unavailable at press time) and hosts defending league champion Venice today at 3 p.m. Boys Golf Palisades improved to 2-1 in the 6A League with a three-stroke victory over Granada Hills at Knollwood Country Club. Sophomore Chris Lee led the Dolphins by carding a five-over-par 77. He shared low-round medalist honors with Chris Kim of the Highlanders in Palisades? 409-412 win. Lacrosse Palisades? girls squad beat host Brentwood 10-4 last Saturday and improved to 4-1 under head coach Juliet Mittlemann. Co-captain Kristina Villamil scored unassisted 10 seconds into the game for the Dolphins, Lacey Carter tallied four goals while co-captain Sierra Centkowski and Alix Aceituno each added two. Senior goalie Elizabeth Lima-Reyes made nine saves. Palisades? boys team moved to 5-0 with a rout of Oaks Christian last Friday at Stadium by the Sea. The Dolphins, now ranked No. 8 in Southern California, hosted Manual Arts at home on Tuesday (score undetermined at press time) and travel to Oaks Christian Friday night. Boys Tennis Coach Bud Kling had reason for concern with his top singles player sidelined with a broken wrist for what could be the season. The rest of the Dolphins stepped up, however, in last Wednesday?s 5-2 victory over Venice?a team expected to challenge for the Western League title. Palisades (11-3, 4-0) had no trouble with L.A. Hamilton the next day, losing eight games in 14 sets. Michael Light won 6-0, 6-0 in singles while Mason Hays and Sepehr Safii won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles. Swimming Both the boys and girls teams lost a practice meet to Granada Hills last week but rebounded to win their first Western League meet in a landslide over L.A. University on Monday at the Temescal Canyon pool. Coach Maggie Nance predicted it will be a rebuilding year for the boys, who finished second in the City last year. The defending City champion girls are young but deep. The Dolphins compete in the Beverly Hills Invitational this week. Track and Field Senior Bryan Greenberg cleared 15 feet to set a new meet record on his way to winning the varsity pole vault at last Saturday?s Camarillo Classic. In the Dolphins? first competitive meet this season, Greenberg beat 45 vaulters from 35 Southern and Central California high schools.