Spike City!

Palisades Beats Granada Hills in Four, Repeats as Section Volleyball Champs

It might not have been intentional, but Palisades High players sent a subliminal message to their opponent during warm ups for Saturday night’s City Section girls volleyball final. Fifteen minutes before the biggest match of their lives, pepper partners Chelsea Scharf and Lauren Gustafson danced to the beat of the music. A few feet away teammate Tait Johnson wore a huge grin, savoring every moment, relaxed as can be. The message was sent before the first ball was struck. While Granada Hills showed up at Roybal Learning Center hoping it could win, Palisades arrived knowing it would. Less than two hours later, the Dolphins were celebrating a 25-16, 25-23, 22-25, 25-21 victory–their second consecutive City title and 25th since the sport was sanctioned in 1973. “Last year we expected to win it but this year we’ve grown so much since the start of the season,” said senior captain Laura Goldsmith, who led the Dolphins’ attack with 21 kills, 27 digs and five aces. “That’s what makes it better. This was a total team effort.” Top-seeded Palisades (17-1 in match play) took charge early, building a 20-8 lead in the first game. The second-seeded Highlanders (15-3), meanwhile, looked nervous and unsure of themselves before settling down midway through Game 2. Trailing 23-20, the Dolphins buckled down and seized control of the match with five consecutive points–ending with an ace by Danielle Wolff that brought Coach Chris Forrest out of his chair, exhorting the Dolphins’ faithful. “We looked in each other’s eyes during the timeouts and I could tell we wanted it more,” senior middle blocker Kelly Yazdi said, fighting back tears of joy. “They were absolutely stunned. That was the turning point right there.” Sophomore outside hitter Hanna Levanen single-handedly kept the dazed Highlanders in the match, pounding nine kills in Game 3–including five in a row–and Granada Hills withstood a late Pali surge to extend the match. “We led in the second game and when we lost it we were shocked,” said Levanen, who finished with 21 kills. “This is the one team in the City we haven’t played this year so we didn’t have that experience. Maybe the pressure got to us.” Granada Hills built a 9-3 lead in Game 4, but once again the Dolphins rallied, tying the score 12-12 on an ace by senior middle blocker Kelsey Keil, then forging ahead for good on a crosscourt kill by Goldsmith. “The defense was off a bit in the third game but our desire is what brought us back,” junior outside hitter Emily Cristiano said. “We adjusted our defense to where they were hitting.” Asked if she thought the Dolphins can three-peat, she admitted it will be tough without the five seniors who were so vital to this year’s success. “It’s going to be hard not having them back because they brought so much to the team,” added Cristiano, whose older brother Adam won the boys’ title in May. “This team has grown so close. Hopefully, though, we can rekindle that.” Ahead 23-21 in Game 4, Gustafson held up two fingers, signifying the number of points separating the Dolphins from back-to-back championships. When Granada Hills middle blocker Theresa Greene hit long to end the match, Palisades players gathered at center court, feeling both elation and relief. “I can’t even describe what I’m feeling,” said Gustafson, a junior setter who filled the shoes of last year’s City Player of the Year Jenna McCallister. “I’ve never wanted to win an athletic event so much in my life.” Johnson had 23 digs and eight kills, Gustafson had 47 assists and Hannah Fagerbakke had four blocks. The most telling stat, however, was the Dolphins’ 15 aces–many of them at crucial times. “They were using this gnarly float serve that we had trouble handling and I give them credit for that,” Levanen said. “We aren’t used to playing from behind.” Their frenzied four-game victory earned the Dolphins an automatic berth into the state playoffs, where they hosted Southern Section Division I-AA runner-up Mira Costa in the first round Tuesday night. The winner will play either Clovis West or Santa Barbara in the regional semifinals on Saturday.